


Submissive Dragons, Part 2: Written in Iron

by GemNika



Series: Submissive Dragons [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, BDSM, Dominant Freed, Explicit Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Fluff and Angst, Genital Piercing, M/M, Mates, Mild Gore, Mildly Dubious Consent, Oral Sex, Restraints, Rimming, Role Reversal, Rough Sex, S&M, Scene Gone Wrong, Semi-Public Sex, Shameless Smut, Spanking, Submissive Gajeel, Tongue Piercings, destined mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 21:26:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 48,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13579251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemNika/pseuds/GemNika
Summary: Male dragons are submissive, and the females are dominant. So, what is Gajeel to do when he already knows he'll never find a female that attracts him, and when the Rune mage he desires is head over heels for another?





	1. In the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Each story within the Submissive Dragons Series begins at a different point within the same timeline. Chapters 1 & 2 of Written in Iron occur before Electric Stars.

 

" _Laxus, how was your date with Lucy last night?"_

" _Awesome. She's gonna move in with me."_

That had been the beginning of the end for the Rune mage. At least, it was in a sense. His secret desire for the Lightning Dragon Slayer was finally to be put to rest. No matter how many women Laxus had gone through in the past, or how serious things had gotten, no one had ever reached the level of sharing a home with him. The first sign should have been that Laxus' relationship with Lucy was already past its second year, by only a couple months. No one had ever held the blond's interest for that long. Freed's heart was heavy, but he knew that he had to move on. Years of being Laxus' right hand showed him that there was only ever an interest in the opposite sex for the Lightning Slayer. And Freed, well he was ill-equipped for the position he'd ached to have.

When he thought back, though, perhaps he'd known and just hadn't wanted to truly accept it. His eyes had strayed on numerous occasions to another mage in the guild. It had always just been because of how loud he was when goaded into a fight. And he was quite the opposite of Laxus in many ways, Freed was sure.

Gajeel, a Dragon Slayer of the first generation. Raised by an actual dragon, not by human parents.

Where Laxus' hair was like the sun, brilliantly shining in those soft spikes that Freed had felt only a handful of times, Gajeel's reminded him of a sharp, dark abyss that threatened to suck down his soul and shred him to pieces in the process. Laxus' eyes were blue as an ocean or grey like the clouds that housed his element. Gajeel's were so deep a red, so vibrant, that Freed was left thinking of how terrifying they would look while stalking their prey. They were vicious, intense. Laxus' fashion sense was clean cut, with not a single thread out of place from his pressed slacks to his silk dress shirts. His fur coat never held a speck of dirt. Gajeel's clothes made everyone aware of just who he was, what element he commanded with his magic. He wasn't dirty, but he had a certain rugged, wild quality to him that made Freed think he was so much more dangerous. Freed had never felt truly intimidated by Laxus, but he assumed it was because of their fast friendship before the Slayer had become an S Class mage. Watching Gajeel from a distance set the Rune mage on edge in ways he wasn't sure how to deal with.

So maybe, just maybe, the times that Freed had found his gaze drawn to that darkened table holding the Iron Dragon Slayer and Levy while he ate his metal and she devoured the knowledge in another book, had been something more than a passing glance. Something about him had piqued Freed's intrigue.

And yet, he knew that it was just a passing fancy. If he allowed himself to indulge in fantasies of a possible future, as he had with Laxus, it would only end painfully for him. While the fact that Gajeel could obviously stand to be around someone who was exceedingly intelligent, who talked about books with such passion, like Levy, was cause for him to feel hopeful… Freed knew it wasn't meant to be.

So late one night in July, just a few days after returning from their third consecutive win in the Grand Magic Games, Freed was walking through the woods, hoping to find some semblance of peace. Their guild's victory had been cause for celebration, but Freed couldn't find it in himself to celebrate.

Laxus and Lucy were taking a step in their relationship, and Freed was still alone. Pining for yet another Dragon Slayer that would never want anything to do with him.

It was just his luck that he would stumble upon Gajeel in the very same woods. That the man's shirt and boots and gloves would be off, leaving him barefoot in a small clearing that the natural wildlife had created with their grazing habits. The sky was clear, but it was humid, and Freed could see the sweat already pouring down the Iron Slayer's body as he continued with his exercises. How lucky those salty little droplets were as they rippled over his tensing muscles. Freed was no stranger to the way a man's body moved while running through a series of exercises, having helped to spot Laxus in the gym on occasion over the years. He was even used to seeing just how defined those muscles could become with discipline and attention to the finer details of training one's body.

' _I had no idea Gajeel knew Tai Chi…'_ It was something that Freed did every morning at dawn, when everything was serene and quiet. While most were still sleeping, he was out in his backyard, his eyes closed, slowly progressing through each position, controlling just how his body moved. Watching someone else though, was an entirely different experience. Gajeel's movements were more graceful than he would have ever imagined the Slayer capable of. Freed could very nearly feel the power thrumming through Gajeel's body with each fluid movement, and eventually found himself moving closer. Moonlight cascaded through the canopy of trees above them, leaving small pale spots of light gliding over Gajeel's bared flesh.

The Iron Slayer's eyes snapped open as a twig snapped off to his right. Without a second thought, he channeled his magic into his hand to create a small iron throwing knife, sending it sailing toward the sound. Freed's eyes widened and he ducked to the side, the knife whizzing just past his head and shearing several hairs from his bangs. Disdain instantly curled his lip while looking at the Iron Slayer, glaring right back into the burning crimson eyes that were locked on him.

"The fuck're you doin' out here?" Gajeel growled. This place was far enough away from Magnolia, just barely within the town's limits, that no one ever ventured this far. There wasn't even a real trail leading to it.

"I should ask why you thought it would be wise to attack a guild mate," Freed countered.

He scoffed, rolling out his shoulders and pulling a black hair tie from his pocket. "You work with the Outlet," he said while putting his hair up into a high ponytail, pulling the sweaty strands away from his back to allow the shallow breeze brushing by to cool him down. "Don't sneak up on a Slayer, unless you wanna get attacked."

"Your heightened senses should have alerted you to my presence," Freed said. He had to ignore the sudden flare of arousal that shot through him at seeing Gajeel's onyx hair pulled up the way it was. Usually, it looked so wild, untamed, much like the mage himself. Now, however, there was a small semblance of control, just barely holding the strands back.

"Or maybe you should just fuckin' leave," Gajeel scowled. "Go read a book or crawl up Laxus' ass, or whatever the hell it is you do."

"You are a vile brute," Freed huffed. Really, this night couldn't have gotten worse. That was what he'd been thinking as one thing after another seemed to turn sour for him as of late. All Freed had wanted to do was go for a walk to try and sort out just what he was supposed to do. And what did he get? A prime example of why his affections for Gajeel were nothing more than trouble. They were too different, the Iron Slayer too unrefined.

"I ain't a damn brute," Gajeel snarled. "Yer just a prissy little bitch!" Gajeel's speech had always been something that made Freed's insides clench. Before, he'd thought it was part of the man's allure, but now it only made him angrier. And that, in itself, was strange. He wasn't usually one to let his emotions get the better of him, but Gajeel was finding some way to make his hands clench into trembling fists at his sides and the fine muscles above his brow twitch, hidden behind his bangs.

"I assure you," Freed hissed. "I am far from 'prissy'."

"Sure had me fuckin' fooled." Gajeel let out a dark, malicious grin. One that Freed was sure would scare off a lesser man. "Go on, princess. Run along home now. I ain't babysitting anyone, so try not to get tripped up on yer skirt."

And finally, Freed's carefully controlled temper flared. "Shut up!" he roared.

Gajeel froze then, his grin fading until his lips were parted in shock. The sheer dominance in those two words had his body rippling with desire, begging to obey. The intensity in the only eye of Freed's he could see, so dark a turquoise in the low lighting around them that it was nearly black, forcing any comeback he might have had to die in his throat. Fire burned brilliantly in Gajeel's eyes and he watched, enraptured, as Freed stalked over to him until they were standing toe-to-toe. He didn't move a muscle though, and found his breath stuttering when the familiar scent of pine and cherries wafted up from the smaller mage. It had always been a secret pleasure of Gajeel's, watching Freed from across the guild. No one paid him any mind if he was in his corner, and he knew how to use his peripherals to keep an eye on his target. It was part of the reason he spent so much time with Levy. She reminded him of Freed.

There was no way that Gajeel could forget how strict Freed was about rules. He still easily remembered the confusion surrounding himself and Natsu being locked in the guild during Fantasia, when the rules had said that no one over the age of eighty could leave, and how quickly the rules that Freed had created for different traps around Magnolia had taken their members down. It had left the Iron Slayer wondering whether or not Freed would be interested in a more draconic relationship. Then again, if Freed had been into Laxus, maybe he was. Or maybe Laxus didn't get that particular compulsion because he had a lacrima.

It had only given Gajeel something else to flounder over where his own lack of a love life was concerned. He knew he was gay. Hell, Metallicana had known he was gay, and hadn't had an issue with it. The problem lay in the fact that it was supposed to be the  _female_  that was dominant, and Gajeel had no interest whatsoever in being with a woman. The bastard that had raised him hadn't been very forthcoming with details on how it worked in a same sex relationship between dragons, but Gajeel remembered being told that they had existed.

' _But the way he's lookin' at me… Fuck, he's sexy like this.'_

"You know nothing about me, Gajeel," Freed ground out between tightly clenched teeth. "I do not need some barbarian spewing vitriol about things of which he knows not."

"Dumb it down for me, princess," Gajeel snarled. "You tellin' me to stop talkin' shit?"

"Precisely."

"Then why didn't you just say that?"

Freed could see the challenge in Gajeel's eyes, and before he knew just what he was doing, his body was propelling forward and his hands were pulling the Iron Slayer's head down so their lips could crash together. Gajeel inhaled sharply, frozen in place when Freed pulled back as quickly as he'd come forward. "M-My apologies," Freed gasped, his eyes wide. "I-"

"Don't," Gajeel whispered. "Please…"

The Rune mage's blush deepened, his uncharacteristic stammering worsening in his embarrassment. "P-Pardon... m-me?"

Gajeel was still slightly bent over from how Freed had pulled him down, watching his every movement. Listening to each uncomfortable shift of fabric. He'd thought that there was a flash of arousal in the air from the Rune mage, but maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe Freed liked rules because he liked  _following_ them. Being told what to do. Maybe Freed was more like Gajeel, in that he wanted someone to dominate him, not to be dominating another. Finally, Gajeel sighed and stood to his full height. "Nevermind," he grumbled. "I thought you'd be what I need, but…"

Freed's brow furrowed as the Iron Slayer turned to walk away, instantly reaching out to keep him from leaving. "Gajeel, stop!"

He froze again. Freed's deep voice wasn't desperate, but commanding. And damnit, Gajeel couldn't help himself for wanting the guy even more.

"Look at me."

Slowly Gajeel's head turned, his gaze burning into the green-haired mage.  _'His fucking voice…'_  His body couldn't say no to that voice, and Gajeel didn't really want to. It wasn't that he was just blindly following orders though. There was a very real difference to the Slayers between someone trying to order them around, and the effect of a dominant voice that called to their inner dragon. And once Gajeel looked at him, all he could see was the confidence of an aristocrat, the determination gleaming in his eyes, the firm set to his jaw. The blush was gone from his porcelain cheeks, and Gajeel hadn't heard him stumble over a single word. It left him thinking that maybe, just maybe, Freed really was a dominant person.

"What, precisely, were you thinking I would be able to give you?" Freed asked curiously.

"Nothin' you can give me," Gajeel answered, his eyes narrowed in defiance. God, the way Freed's eye twitched in agitation shouldn't have made him ready to fucking pounce on the guy. He couldn't let himself believe what he wanted to, though. It was just wishful thinking.

"It's unwise to make assumptions," Freed whispered. "How would you know whether or not I have what you were looking for?"

"I just do," Gajeel whispered right back. "It's…" He looked away as he felt the slight shudder in the slender fingers gripping him, and practically ripped his arm from Freed's gentle grasp. "It's nothin' you gotta worry about. I won't tell anyone what ya did."

"Stop looking away from me," Freed frowned. "I despise being ignored, Gajeel." The fact that the crimson-eyed mage snapped his head back to look at him, had Freed's brow lifting in intrigue. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Really, Gajeel wasn't sure just what the hell was happening. Sure, he was submissive, but he wasn't a goddamn lapdog. He didn't fucking jump when someone gave him the word. For one reason or another though, the stupid fucking dragon inside of him was practically panting at the prospect of finding a man that could keep his ass in line. That was the point in the males being submissive in general. They were stronger and more powerful, sure, but there had to be some way to keep them under control. In normal dragons, it was built as a matriarchal society. It was simple, and the males were taught from birth to defer to the females.

For Slayers, they still had to adhere to human traditions in a sense. They were torn between their instincts and human desires. They needed someone to keep them in line, help to balance them out and relax. Gajeel needed someone that could handle him being an asshole. One that wouldn't judge him for his shortcomings - especially the ones he was too ashamed to even tell Pantherlily about - and would be supportive when it mattered.

And yes, in the bedroom, he wanted a man that was willing to order his ass around and spank the living daylights out of him. It was why he had some of the scars on his arms - because he'd been seeking pain to balance himself out in any way he could. Sometimes he'd done it himself, while others he'd gotten lucky and had a halfway decent fight. But it never lasted long enough. The calm he would feel from the pain wasn't what he really needed. It was the dragon inside of him, his instincts, just begging for someone to take control. To make him feel like he wasn't alone, but complete.

"You listen when I tell you what to do," Freed mused. "I did not think you were one for following a stranger's orders."

"Y'ain't a damn stranger," Gajeel muttered. "We're guild mates."

"And yet, this is the first time you've ever spoken to me."

"So?"

"So why are you deferring to me, Gajeel? I want to know."

"It's not important," Gajeel growled.

"I guess not," Freed sighed, finally releasing him and stepping back. "You have my apologies for accosting you."

"What?"

"For grabbing you, Gajeel."

He blinked and looked down at his arm where Freed had been holding him. "Oh…" Great, now he just looked like an idiot. That wasn't exactly what Gajeel wanted Freed to think of him. Then again, it's what everyone else thought of him anyway, that he was only marginally more intelligent than fucking Natsu, so it shouldn't have been a surprise. "... Right."

Freed sighed and started walking away from the Iron Slayer. "Goodnight, Gajeel," he called out over his shoulder. "It was a… pleasure."

"Hey," Gajeel called out. "Yer just gonna walk off? Just like that?" This bastard tied his ass up in knots and he was just going to walk away? That was beyond fucking twisted, regardless of whether or not Freed was aware of doing it. It only made Gajeel that much more desperate for him though. Something dark and violent was swirling in the depths of the Rune mage's soul, and Gajeel wanted to feel it. He wanted that thin body pressed against him. To feel harsh breaths on his flesh and hear his commanding voice wither down to broken whimpers.

And deep down, Gajeel wanted to see what Freed would look like if he was happy. Not creeping on Laxus and worshipping the ground he walked on, but feeling pride in Gajeel instead. That was really what it all boiled down to for the Iron Slayer. He needed someone to please, someone to be proud of him.

"Yes," Freed replied. "It is getting rather late, don't you think?"

"Nah," Gajeel sighed. The fact of the matter was, he hardly slept. He was always too tense to get much in the way of actual rest, and it was why he was out in the middle of the woods in the first place. Trying to work off some energy, find his inner damn peace, or some shit. Just so he could sleep for a little while. "Still pretty early."

"Do you not sleep?" Freed frowned, turning back to Gajeel.

"I do," he spat. "Just… not a lot."

Inexplicably, Freed moved closer once more only to find a light dusting of pink across Gajeel's cheeks while he glared at the ground. "Are you… blushing?"

"Fuck you, nerd," Gajeel growled. "I ain't…"

"You are," Freed chuckled. Never in all his life had Freed expected someone so powerful to look quite like this.

"I said, fuck you!" he roared.

"You seem to be running out of insults, Gajeel."

"Asshole," he snarled. "I'll show you a fuckin' insult." His fist sailed through the air, and Gajeel growled when he missed.

"You will have to be faster than that, if you wish to hit me," Freed said, his lips turning down slightly in annoyance. Just what had he said that set the Iron Slayer off so suddenly? "I spar with Laxus regularly, and he tends to quicken his movements with lightning."

Gajeel spun and tried again, only to miss once more. And that only made him more determined to catch the slippery fucker. Whether he would kiss him or punch him, Gajeel wasn't sure, but that wouldn't matter until Freed was on the ground anyway. And just when he thought he had the Rune mage, just as Freed was falling backward to the ground, their positions were switched. It was Gajeel whose back was thudding on the earth covered in leaves and small patches of grass, and Freed who was tackling him. His wrists were pinned by his head, and Gajeel snapped his jaws wildly when he felt restraints holding him down once Freed's hands moved away.

"People do not touch me without permission," Freed said, checking to make sure the simple runes he'd placed around Gajeel's wrists were holding. "It is one of the many rules I have concerning contact with others."

"I don't give a shit," Gajeel spat. Although, he was internally logging that little bit of information away. ' _Rule #1: No touching unless he says.'_ The fact that Freed was straddling him wasn't lost on the Iron Slayer, and all he could hope was that this would be over quickly, so Freed was none the wiser about just how good it felt to have him like that.

His hands planted themselves on either side from Gajeel's head, and Freed simply watched as he continued fighting to get free. "Now, what made you decide to attack me…  _again_?"

"You looked like you needed a good fuckin' pop in the mouth."

' _How did I not realize just how crass he is?'_  Freed's eyes narrowed, sparking with annoyance as he leaned in closer. And, just as he did, Gajeel went eerily still. He couldn't understand why he heard the slight shudder in the pinned mage's next breath, or why it seemed that he was able to get the Rune mage's highly controlled emotions to break free. "And yours needs to be washed out with soap."

Gajeel let out a low groan as Freed swooped down to claim his lips again, much more forcefully than before. And this time, instead of sitting there like a fucking idiot, he kissed the Rune mage right back. Those thin lips commanded him silently, and he was more than willing to do whatever the slender mage wanted. Freed tasted even better than he smelled, like pine and cherries and something so much darker and more erotic.

This wasn't normal in the slightest. Freed didn't tie people down and demand answers from them. He scolded people, of course, but never to this extent. Normally, he wasn't compelled to teach someone a lesson like this. In his experience, which mainly consisted of disciplining Bickslow for one prank or another, it was just verbal; occasionally locking him in a rune cage. Freed had never been so physical about it. But with Gajeel… Seeing him pinned down and helpless and still trying to fight back, knowing that  _he_  was the one who had so easily taken down this Slayer, whose name of Black Steel Gajeel was still well-known even nearly a decade after Phantom Lord was dissolved, it called to something deep within him. For once, he felt truly in control.

Freed's life had always been about control, and just how little of it he was able to exert over circumstances around himself. He grew up with nothing but the clothes on his back, and did everything he could to eventually make people see him as he wished. As he'd wanted to be. Freed had wanted the ability to control things, to make the world bend to his whims for once. And the ones that always had that ability were the rich. It was why he acted and dressed the way he did. He came from nothing, orphaned before he even knew how to change his own clothes, and had fought every day just to have what he did now. Now, rules reigned supreme in his life. He wrote the rules, and he abided by them. But, if someone needed permission from him to do something, then it seemed only fair that they also had the opportunity to control their own lives. To give permission where it was necessary.

Freed pulled back from Gajeel's lips, his eyes heavily clouded with lust. "Gajeel," he panted.

"Y-Yeah…"

"Is this alright?"

"Fuck yes," Gajeel growled. He lifted his head and lightly nipped at Freed's lips. "Don't stop." The sight of a seductive grin stretching across his thin lips left Gajeel breathless, and all he could do was let the fierce kisses that he was gifted with breathe life back into him.

The Rune mage found the fact that Gajeel's tongue lightly brushed over his lips only once before retreating, both highly arousing and empowering. There was no demand, just a silent request for permission.  _'Permission granted… Oh god, his tongue is pierced!'_ Gajeel's tongue speared into Freed's mouth as soon as his lips parted, curling wildly and letting him feel the two barbells that ran through it. He wanted more than anything to sink his fingers into the silken green strands that hung down around them and tickled his shoulders, but the runes that ran over his wrists kept him confined.

A low groan spilled from Freed when he felt just how aroused Gajeel was, pinned between their bodies. The heat in the air was dizzying, and that was when he realized that he was still wearing his normal clothes. A long sleeve shirt, cravat, pants, boots, and his coat. Normally, the heat didn't bother him, but he wanted more than just this with Gajeel.

Gajeel nearly whimpered when Freed propped himself up on his knees, the connection between their lips never breaking. He could hear the shifting of fabric, buttons flying through holes, the metal of a buckle and leather rubbing quickly over itself. More buttons, so many more buttons, and fabric.

Freed had never been impatient while with a man, always more inclined to take his time and bring both of them to the edges of sanity before they finally relented and fell into a writhing mass of pleasure and carnal desire. Yet again, Gajeel was the exception. His shirt had hardly been pulled open and nearly ripped down his shoulders before Freed was falling on top of the Iron Slayer, moaning as he felt the sweaty, tanned chest brushing against him.

"Tell me now," Freed hissed after pulling the still-buttoned sleeves over his hands and tossing his shirt behind him, his coat and cravat already lying on the ground. Once free, his slender fingers sunk into the barely contained raven locks that were still held in a ponytail. "Tell me where to stop."

Gajeel groaned as his head was pulled to Freed's bare throat, lavishing the pale flesh with open-mouthed kisses and gentle bites. "You tell me."

"Your choice, Gajeel." Freed gasped as Gajeel's sharper than normal teeth scraped over his collarbone. His tongue drew a wide circle before his lips closed over the flesh. "N-No marks!"

' _Rule #2: Don't leave marks.'_  Instantly, Gajeel drew back, sending his tongue on a searing path up the column of Freed's throat, the sharp angle of his jaw, and finally pausing at his earlobe. "Who's the one being held down?" he grinned, laying his head back down on the ground.

Freed smirked down at the Iron Slayer. "Well, you are," he whispered. "So, I guess that means I'm in control." Gajeel gulped and nodded as Freed's lips trailed down his throat. "And, I can do whatever I want with you?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Ah, but we need rules, don't we…"

"Fuck rules," Gajeel groaned, his breath hitching as he felt Freed's teeth scraping over his flesh, much the same way he'd been doing before.

"Rules are essential, Gajeel," Freed whispered. "But we'll keep it simple."

"Don't touch you without permission," Gajeel said quickly. "And don't leave marks. Got it."

The Rune mage paused and hummed, a slow smile spreading across his lips as he lifted his head and peered down at the Iron Slayer. "Are those the rules?"

"S'what you told me." It had been far too long since Gajeel was with someone, he realized. But this was the first time that he didn't have to spell everything out in what he was looking for. Freed was a fucking natural. He instantly took the lead, put Gajeel in his place, and made him ache to please him. Just the sight of that smile had him internally dancing for fucking joy.

"And if I wanted sex," Freed hummed. "What would you say?"

"Top or bottom?"

He chuckled softly at the immediate response. "I prefer...  _receiving_ , if that's what you mean."

' _Holy shit… He wants to take it up the ass and still does this to me?!'_

That was a first. In his experience, guys that acted the way Freed was right then didn't want to get fucked. They wanted to do the fucking. And Gajeel was firmly fucking against anything going inside of him. He just couldn't take that total surrender. It made him feel too much like he was just being used for someone else's pleasure, and that he wasn't supposed to get anything in return. He'd only tried once, and ended up backing out and nearly forgetting his clothes while running out the damn door before the guy's dick had even touched him.

"Is that… alright?" Freed asked, his brows pushing together as Gajeel stared at him with widened eyes.

"Y-Yeah," Gajeel breathed. "Fuck… Yeah, that's…  _really_ alright."

Freed laughed and sat up fully, biting his lips when he felt the thick arousal twitching excitedly beneath him. His hands slowly trailed down the length of Gajeel's chest, pausing to brush his thumbs over pierced, pebbled nipples several shades darker than the rest of Gajeel's deliciously tanned skin.

Gajeel hissed, his back arching and his bare feet planted on the ground. "Fuck, Freed…" Strong hands with long thin fingers spread over his chest and massaged down his stomach.

"And, if I said that I didn't want you to get up," Freed smirked, licking his lips at the sight of Gajeel's sweat-slicked flesh just waiting to be devoured. "That I wanted to strip you down right here… Would you be against that?"

"God, you can fuck me wherever you want," Gajeel groaned with need. "You can mark me up. I don't fucking care."

"Is there nothing you refuse to budge on?"

"Just a dick in my ass." The Iron Slayer cried out as Freed's perfectly manicured nails raked down his chest, the quick flash of pain forcing his hips to buck. Green hair cascaded around him as Freed fell forward, stabilizing himself just before he could topple completely.

"So, you like pain." Freed grinned and reached between them, his fingers slipping beneath Gajeel's pants and lightly grasping the thick length hidden within the fabric. He'd spent far too long on his own, wishing for Laxus to care for him in return. And his realization earlier that Gajeel was the one that held his affections, and now finding out that Gajeel apparently returned them just as fiercely, had the Rune mage feeling much more adventurous. Normally, he wouldn't have strayed from convention - dating, getting to know one another, and eventually building to a more physical relationship - but the Iron Slayer was just so willing. He looked as though this was the only thing keeping him breathing, and oddly enough... Freed felt the same.

Gajeel's breath rushed out in a groan as Freed's fingers slowly stretched around his cock. When the Rune mage paused and his eyes widened, he couldn't help but grin just a little wickedly. "You still wanna let me in that tight little ass of yers?"

"P-Pierced," Freed whispered breathlessly. "Y-You're… Even here?"

"Got that right, buttercup." He growled and pulled against the runes shackling him to the ground when Freed's grip on his shaft tightened and his only visible eye flashed in warning. "F-Fuck…"

"Pardon me for being surprised," Freed smirked. His hand withdrew from Gajeel's pants and he quickly unfastened them, pulling just enough so the short black hairs above his prominent arousal peeked out, and so his member was forced into confinement, unable to spring free. Without another word, he leaned down and captured one of Gajeel's nipples between his teeth, quickly flicking his tongue over the little hoop piercing before slowly sucking it into his mouth.

"Fuck, Freed," Gajeel panted. "Damnit, lemme go."

"No," Freed answered, licking the sweat from his chest while drifting to the other nipple.

"Let me touch you, you scrawny motherfucker," Gajeel growled.

"Definitely not," Freed grinned devilishly. While he used one hand to continue teasing Gajeel's unattended nipple - and silently loving that this was such a sensitive spot for the Iron Slayer - the other roughly cupped the straining, pierced arousal through his pants.

"Sh-Shit," Gajeel whimpered, quickly licking his lips. His head lifted and he peered down the length of his body, watching the green-haired mage's lips pucker on his flesh again and again, closer to his hips with each small kiss. Gajeel had never been one for begging, but he wanted to do it right then. For Freed to let him go, so he could roll the bastard over and just ravish his lithe little body.

It wasn't so much of a secret, what Freed looked like beneath his clothes. It was more that people tended to forget because he was so rarely seen in his little mankini bathing suit. Gajeel, however, had memorized every plane of his body from afar and now he wanted to feel it for the first time. To touch the forbidden fruit that was his body and devour him until they were both dragged to hell. But these goddamn runes, and the stupid rules, kept him back. His hips lifted as Freed gently pulled his pants further down, and he gasped once the night air hit his arousal.

"I do believe I'm a lucky man," Freed whispered, his voice trembling as he eyed the thick length lined with piercings, Gajeel's powerful thighs that trembled with the proof of how much he was holding back.

The sight of a large droplet of moisture, sitting just at the slit, had Freed licking his lips and diving forward to spread it over his tongue. He wasn't sure how long it really had been that he'd wondered what the Iron Slayer tasted like, how it would feel to have his mouth slowly being invaded by the larger mage's hot length, but good lord was he a happy man right then. Even though Gajeel had been sweating, it was still fresh enough that the smell wasn't off-putting. In fact, Freed's next breath had him pulling away from the engorged tip and brushing his nose through the short, coarse hairs at the base of his shaft, a guttural groan vibrating in his throat at the masculine scent that filled his lungs.

Gajeel was sure he had to be dreaming once Freed's mouth closed over him again. Those same thin lips, slightly kiss-swollen, slid so effortlessly down his length, and he shuddered as each barbell popped into Freed's mouth and dragged over his tongue.

Really though, he knew that this just couldn't be happening. There was just no way that Freed Justine, the official captain of the Raijinshuu, the man that quite literally everyone in the damn guild knew had a thing for Laxus, would want to be with him. So, he reasoned, it was either the most amazing dream he'd ever had, or… Freed was just trying to forget everything else. And still, even with that slightly sobering thought, Gajeel wasn't going to complain. For months, nearly a year, he'd been aching to even just talk to the guy who was slowly crawling up the length of his body. If this was just a one-time thing, then that was fine. At least he was going to have this one time to tide him over until he found a way to move on.

"You are rather vocal," Freed hummed as he settled himself over Gajeel's member. His pants and boxers had been discarded, along with his boots, while he'd listened to Gajeel moaning nearly incoherently. And luckily, Freed had taken a little time to reach back with moistened fingers and prepare himself for what was to come. "I don't think I've ever heard my name so much from just oral stimulation."

"S'cause you got a fucking demon in that sexy little mouth of yers," Gajeel grinned, already heavily panting. He leaned up and ran his tongue over Freed's chin, up to his lower lip, to swipe away a bit of excess saliva. He fought to keep his eyes open and locked onto the blush on Freed's cheeks, the way his eyelids fluttered as his pale thighs lowered his body. The Rune mage's breathy whimper as his entrance slowly stretched to accommodate Gajeel's aching arousal.

"G-Gajeel," Freed rasped, slowly working himself lower until he reached the first barbell. He took his time moving past it, gasping at the quick stretching sensation as it was forced into him. "Oh god…"

"Only eight more to go," Gajeel growled. "You gonna take 'em all?" He knew that there were plenty of guys out there that really fucking hated dick piercings, but Gajeel refused to get rid of them. He'd given himself every piercing he had, and there was no going back as far as he was concerned.

Slowly, Freed moved further down, his body rippling excitedly as he felt the second and then third piercings entering him. By the time he'd reached the fifth, he had to pause and catch his breath to force himself to relax. If it hadn't been for the piercings, Freed knew he would have already been sitting flush against Gajeel's hips. But this was completely new territory for him. Each piercing brought another fresh wave of burning desire, threatening to unravel the Rune mage at any moment. But, he couldn't let that happen. Gajeel had given him control of this, and Freed wanted it to be memorable. Amazing. He just had to relax and keep moving slowly.

Gajeel bit his lip, groaning as the Rune mage carefully pulled up. He always hated going slow during sex, but that was really just par for the course the first time around with someone. By the time Freed had taken every throbbing inch into him, Gajeel was nearly at his wit's end with the need to move. He was positive he'd actually said as much, but he couldn't be too sure. Instead, he was solely focused on the heightened scent of Freed's arousal hanging thick in the muggy air, clinging to his skin. And once Freed lifted himself, only to slam back down and let out what had to be, hands down, the most beautiful fucking moan Gajeel had ever heard, he found that he didn't care if he'd begged for some relief.

Freed rolled his hips on each withdrawal, crying out each time Gajeel was fully sheathed within him. And when he realized that the Iron Slayer had been holding himself completely still, to the point of trembling and grinding his teeth together, Freed grinned and reached forward to swipe his fingers over the runes around his wrists. Once released, Gajeel's hands were everywhere. He pulled Freed down into a melting kiss, tenderly pushing his hair off to one side so it wouldn't get tangled up too much. One hand stayed in the silken emerald strands and the other shot down to push more insistently on the Rune mage's slender hips.

"I-I don't remember telling you to…  _Mmm_ … touch me," Freed moaned between kisses.

"Then gimme a good fuckin' spankin' later," Gajeel growled in response. His hand gently kneaded the soft, small globe of Freed's ass before sliding up his back and into his hair. "Or spank me now…"

Freed grinned down at the Iron Slayer. "I would have to be lying down, Gajeel." He gasped when, not a moment later, his slender body was slammed into the ground. The fact that his raven-haired lover had gone completely still, nestled deeply within him and merely pressing gentle kisses to his throat and jaw line, had Freed smiling in contentment. Never before had someone been this attentive to his desires. It wasn't that Freed wanted to be worshipped, but there was something in the way Gajeel was holding him so closely that had the Rune mage nearly melting. "My belt," he whispered urgently. "On my coat."

Gajeel's eyes cut over to the familiar red coat, and he grinned against Freed's neck. "Yer really gonna do it?" he growled softly.

"You broke a rule, Gajeel," Freed rasped. "I take rules  _very_ seriously." His hands raised to tenderly cup Gajeel's cheeks, lifting the Slayer's head to look into his eyes. "Now, grab my belt, if you would."

Gajeel chewed his lower lip, and started to withdraw only to groan as Freed's ankles locked around his hips, keeping them joined.

"No," Freed chuckled. "I want you inside of me."

"Sassy shit," he groaned with a smirk. Carefully, keeping the majority of his body still and only using one hand to reach out to Freed's coat a few feet away, Gajeel retrieved the belt. And the Rune mage's fucking sword. Once only the leather strap was in hand, he quickly gave it to Freed.

Freed's legs spread open even further after loosening from Gajeel's hips, and he folded the belt easily. "Do you know why you're being punished, Gajeel?"

The Iron Slayer's eyes nearly rolled back as Freed's low, commanding voice washed over him. "Y-Yeah," he rasped. "I touched you without permission."

"Now, don't move," Freed smirked. "And, if you need me to stop… I want you to say  _Écriture_."

"A creature?" Gajeel chuckled, gasping as the belt smacked against his thigh in warning.

"No," Freed said patiently. "Eh-cree- _ture_. Say it."

" _Écriture_ ," Gajeel said slowly, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Perfect," Freed smiled. His hand snapped the belt three times in quick succession across Gajeel's ass, and he found himself grinning when the low, predatory growl rumbled through him from his lover. Surprisingly, Gajeel didn't move a muscle. So Freed tried again, just a little harder.

"Fuck!" Gajeel roared. His head dropped and his body shook as he tried to keep himself still. He could hear the belt sailing through the air, and his whole body tensed just before it cracked over his flesh. It was more difficult than he'd thought, not moving while still nestled in the Rune mage's heat. All he wanted to was rock his hips and get Freed screaming his name. "F-Freed…"

"I can feel how hard you are now," the Rune mage rasped into his ear, his tongue gliding up the shell and over nearly a dozen little iron piercings. "You like this punishment, don't you?"

"N-No… Agh!"

"Don't. You," Freed ground out, his free hand sinking into Gajeel's mostly intact ponytail and tightly gripping the raven strands at his scalp. The resulting growl had him more than ready to let the Iron Slayer move as he pleased, but it was the raw desire pooling in the wine-colored eyes that gazed down at him that had Freed reining himself in.

"No."

"Tell the truth."

The belt cracked loudly in the woods, streaking white lightning down Gajeel's spine and making his legs quiver. "FUCK!" he bellowed.

"You can have a treat if you do."

"Yes!" Gajeel shouted. In the next moment, a shuddering moan split through the air as he was spanked again. "Fuck, I like it! J-Just…  _Ngggh_ …" He groaned as his hips surged forward, pushing all of his barbells back into the Rune mage in a quicker succession than before.

"Gajeel!" Freed gasped. "Harder."

The belt came down on Gajeel's bare ass one last time before Freed tossed it to the ground and wrapped his arms around his suddenly ravenous lover. The speed he was moving was unlike anything Freed had experienced, but it was how his body had to accommodate the piercings plunging into him, only to be pulled right back out, that left him lightheaded.

"Kiss me, Gajeel," Freed breathed. In the next moment, full lips were covering his, a pierced tongue was teasing him into oblivion.

Heat soared through his nerves from where they were joined, the movements of the Slayer on top of him pushing the breath from his lungs and causing him to break away from the kiss on a pleasured cry.

"T-Touch me…" The Rune mage smiled as strong hands quested over his body, full lips descended to his throat as his arms were pushed to the ground above his head. The fact that Gajeel was openly kissing and licking every inch of flesh he could reach, all while their skin slapped so wickedly in the hushed woods, sent Freed's mind spinning. No one had ever been like this with him before. So feral, so desperate for just him.

Gajeel growled possessively, his hips never stopping as his hands finally barred around Freed's slender body. "Hold tight, you sexy little fuck…"

Freed's eyes rolled back as he was hoisted onto Gajeel's lap. "Oh, Gajeel! Make me ride you! Y-Yes!"

The fact that the Rune mage started bouncing wildly in Gajeel's lap, his long green hair swaying this way and that, had the Iron Slayer ready to spill over. For so long, he'd ached to see Freed just like this. To feel his soft skin clutching to him so desperately. To hear his voice cracking just as he started curling his hips and pounding into him from below. "F-Fuck… Freed," Gajeel whimpered. "I'm s-so close... P-Please."

Freed's eyes shot open to find Gajeel's jaw tensed as he tried to hold back. "Don't cum yet," he hissed, reaching up and pulling roughly on the Iron Slayer's ponytail. "Not until I say."

"Y-Yes…  _Nngh_ … That's it…"

Turquoise eyes flared with excitement. He'd never thought that having a man so ready to please him would feel quite like this, or that he would like seeing the wild look in Gajeel's eyes as he wrenched the Slayer's head back a little more forcefully and glared down into the crimson orbs. "I said touch me, Gajeel," he moaned.

Without a moment's hesitation, Gajeel spit into his palm then reached between their sweat-slicked bodies and wrapped his fingers around Freed's impressive length. The way his green-haired lover rolled his hips and how his body tightened instinctively at the increased pleasure, had Gajeel fighting to hold himself back. He'd never thought it would be so breathtaking to see the usually stoic mage finally letting go, how his eyes were filled with warmth, yet still sending hard chills down his spine with just how intensely they glared into his own.

"That's it," Freed gasped. "That's... O-Oh, Gajeel..."

He wanted more than anything to be able to go with Freed. His hand pumped the Rune mage's length in time with his thrusts, rotating slightly and adding more pressure while he tried to decipher based on sounds alone what Freed liked. But he couldn't, not when he felt his body betraying him even as Freed pulled his hair again and tackled him to the ground. "Sh-Shit, no… Oh god… F-Fuck! Freed!"

Freed grinned as Gajeel's hands stuttered over to his hips, pushing them down one last time as he roared his completion. Picking up where the suddenly shivering mage had left off, Freed sat upright, leaning back just a little, and began stroking himself. "Gajeel," he moaned, grinding shamelessly on the still-erect member inside him. The heat that had shot into him left Freed breathless and ready for his own release. He just needed a little more.

"Fuck yer sexy," Gajeel growled. As Freed propped himself up with a hand on Gajeel's thigh, his other still frantically moving, the Iron Slayer couldn't help but fall into the trance that was his movements. His thin body was just how Gajeel liked his men. He didn't want overly muscular, but lean. And still, seeing Freed's head tip back and to the side so they could still see each other's eyes, and that fact that he could finally see  _both_  of Freed's eyes, left Gajeel desperate for more.

Slowly, Gajeel brought his fist up to his lips and spit into it again, then pushed Freed's hand out of the way and started teasing him, the same way the Iron Slayer teased himself while he was alone. "You told me to touch ya," he rasped, grinning as Freed's breath stuttered. If anything, he needed to make up for not following an order, for finishing before Freed was ready.

"Yes," Freed groaned. "Mm, Gajeel… G-Gajeel…" He didn't try to stop that single name from passing through his lips repeatedly. Those calloused fingers wrapped around him were bringing the Rune mage right to the precipice. He could see it, nearly taste it, and yet there was something holding him back. Something Freed had secretly wondered what it would be like to experience, but never allowed himself to indulge.

For some reason, he felt as though it would be alright to do just that with Gajeel.

"C-Call me Master," Freed panted.

Gajeel's ruby eyes widened before narrowing as a dark and giddy grin stretched over his lips. "Whatever ya say…  _Master_." His hand twisted only slightly, and he couldn't help but lick his lips hungrily while watching as Freed finally fell apart with a sharp cry of ecstasy. His slim body, arched back and tensed with his climax, was suddenly dripping with thin white streams that had Gajeel's mouth watering. God how he wanted to taste the Rune mage.

A breathless chuckle slipped past Freed's lips, and he watched curiously as Gajeel's large hands smoothed tenderly over his hips after milking him completely dry, then how the Iron Slayer very carefully swiped up every drop of the climax that had landed on the Rune mage's chest and swallowed it all down. Once he was clean, Gajeel slowly pulled Freed down, grinning as the smaller mage collapsed onto his chest in weariness. His hips shifted slowly, as slowly as possible, to eventually withdraw himself from Freed's all too enticing heat.

"That was…" Freed shook his head and let out a breathy laugh while burying his face in Gajeel's bare chest.

"Best lay I've ever had," Gajeel chuckled, his arms encircling the other mage. The fact that Freed bit his chest playfully only had him smiling more widely and pulling the sneaky little shit closer. "I ain't lyin'."

"I am sure," Freed whispered, a brilliant flush to his cheeks. He'd never let himself get quite so carried away before, and while it was freeing in a sense, having so much control over what they did and being out in the open as they were, he just didn't know what to do now that they were done. Was he supposed to simply get dressed and leave as though nothing had happened? Would Gajeel walk with him for a little while? What, exactly,  _was_  the protocol in this situation?

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired…"

"I see," Freed whispered. He frowned in disappointment while trying to pull back, finding himself stopped in an instant. He really didn't want to move, but that was a very obvious hint that Gajeel wanted him to go. "Gajeel, what are you-"

"Just holdin' ya for a minute," he whispered back. He'd been waiting far too long for something like this to happen and, since he was sure it would never happen again, Gajeel didn't want to let go so soon. He just wanted to keep Freed wrapped in his arms all night. And really, he didn't want this to be the only time. "Feelin' alright?"

Freed smiled shyly while lifting his head, his chin resting on Gajeel's broad chest. "Definitely," he whispered. "Although, I must say… This is a first for me."

"Which part?" Gajeel chuckled. "Fuckin' in the woods?"

"Well, there is that," Freed replied. "But I meant that you and I have no established relationship. I… I am not accustomed to… one night stands." And even as the words came out of his mouth, Freed felt like they were simply wrong somehow. But it still stood to reason that Gajeel might only be interested in a single night together. Then again, Freed clearly knew hardly anything about the Iron Dragon Slayer, so it might be better that there wasn't more between them.  _'Or I'll regret not giving him a chance if he's interested in more…'_

"It ain't all it's cracked up to be," Gajeel whispered. "That what you want?"

"I…" Freed blushed and his eyes cut away from Gajeel. "I am not sure. We hardly know one another."

"I'd say I know yer ass pretty well," Gajeel smirked. Slowly, he reached down and cupped the small globes of Freed's ass. God how he loved the way it fit so perfectly in his hands.

"That is not what I meant," Freed muttered.

"No, but…" The Iron Slayer shrugged then. "I don't have a problem gettin' to know ya better. If, uh… that's what you wanted."

"As in…" Freed frowned in thought. "A physical relationship, or…?"

"As in you maybe lettin' me take you out for coffee sometime, and us having a conversation about more than the pros and cons of sneaking up on a Slayer," Gajeel chuckled.

"That sounds suspiciously like you are asking me on a date," Freed whispered, blinking in surprise.

"Pretty much," Gajeel smirked. "Maybe somewhere secluded though…"

"Oh?"

"I'm not big on nosey fucks gettin' in my business," Gajeel said, reaching up and lightly toying the a few errant strands of green hair. "I wanna get to know you without worrying about hearing what everyone else thinks afterwards."

"So, in secret then?" Freed smirked.

"Secret coffee," the Slayer chuckled. "Whaddya say?"

Freed didn't even need to think about the offer, and was instead simply nodding with a timid smile on his face. He wasn't sure what it would be like, going on a date with Gajeel, but it was definitely something he wanted. And really, the secrecy surrounding it in the first place was probably for the best. Nearly everyone in the guild knew that Freed was gay, or suspected it, but he'd never heard any whispers of Gajeel being the same. In fact, most people thought that he and Levy were an item, or infatuated with one another. But, if it was a case of the Iron Slayer just not wanting people to know his sexuality, then Freed was fine with that. They could come to realize that there really wasn't any sort of connection between them, aside from sexual attraction. And, if that was the case, then no one would need to know about that if Gajeel didn't want them to.

Gajeel leaned up and tenderly kissed the Rune mage, pulling him from his thoughts with a soft chuckle. "Lemme know when you're free. Probably for the best if we get outta here though."

Freed nodded again and went to stand, laughing when Gajeel pulled him right back down. "I thought you said we should be leaving."

"Mm, but ya smell so damn good," Gajeel smirked.

"Maybe I should take that belt to you again for not letting me stand up," Freed chuckled. The sudden burning in those deep crimson orbs had his brows lifting in surprise and a slow smile stretching over his thin lips. "You are quite the enigma, Gajeel."

"Nope, just lookin' for a guy like you," Gajeel whispered. The sight of Freed's flushed cheeks turning brighter had him grinning like a damn idiot. Still, he didn't have much of an issue being an idiot around the Rune mage. Especially if he would get to see just how many different sides the guy had. Someone who was dominant in the bedroom, but still blushed at small comments like that?  _'I'm so fuckin' lucky if this works out…'_

Finally, Freed sighed and closed the distance between them, bringing their lips together in a gentle, exploring kiss. And, by the time he was slowly being rolled onto his back an hour later, with his legs hooked over Gajeel's hips and the Slayer carefully pushing into him, Freed was sure that even if it had only been something physical between them, he wouldn't have minded all that much.

Freed much preferred committed relationships, but if the way Gajeel was treating every inch of his body as though it was a holy relic to be worshipped, caressing him so tenderly, listening to his every breathy command… He had a feeling that a relationship with the Iron Slayer wouldn't be all that hard to manage. They at least had this one aspect in common, and already fit perfectly in their roles - with Freed in command and Gajeel willing to bend to his whims. Then again, as Gajeel flipped him over and pulled him up onto his hands and knees, with Freed crying out as he felt each of the mage's piercings pushing into him faster and harder, the Rune mage forgot all about whether or not they worked together in any other capacity. Instead, the only thing on his mind was the way it felt to have Gajeel moving within him, curling around him, gently biting at his back and shoulders.

And all Gajeel cared about, in that moment, was hearing just how much Freed was enjoying himself, and making sure the Rune mage was crying out his release long before Gajeel finally speared into him with his own roar of his lover's name filling the air.

 


	2. Teach Me

 

There was one very large downside to being in a relationship with Freed and keeping it a secret from everyone: they hardly spent time together. Gajeel knew just how easy it was for a Dragon Slayer to pick up on someone else's scent, and Laxus knew Freed's scent better than anyone. That meant that, the times they were together, Freed had to make sure he'd scrubbed himself clean - inside and out, really - and that he took to wearing cologne.

Laxus had instantly commented on the new scent to the Rune mage, and Gajeel had been more than happy with what Freed had said in response.

" _Ah, I received it as a gift and thought it would be rude not to at least wear it on occasion. I will try to limit your exposure to it, as I know your olfactory nerves are more sensitive."_

His sexy little fucking nerd. It hadn't been a lie, either, because Gajeel had given Freed the cologne. He'd said it would mask any remnants of his own scent that were left behind, and complemented Freed's. Also, Gajeel had wanted to get the Rune mage a gift, and being able to smell that cologne, knowing that his boyfriend was wearing something the Iron Slayer had given him… He was just a happy little fucking clam over that. Really, there wasn't any reason for them to keep their relationship a secret, aside from the fact that Gajeel just didn't want to deal with anyone's reactions. He liked having Freed to himself, the times they were able to be together. He loved that they could lie in bed, either naked or clothed, and just look at one another and be content. He loved watching Freed's lips moving while he was reading, and seeing his eyes darting across the pages of his way too thick books.

Gajeel already knew he was in love with the Rune mage, and his bumbling admission nearly two months prior had only been able to make it past his lips after Freed strapped him to the bed and flogged him for almost an hour. Gajeel had been in tears at the time, because he was pretty fucking stubborn, but it had been just what he'd needed to relax and just come clean about how he felt. Thankfully, Freed had already suspected what he wanted to say, and understood that Gajeel really needed to be the one to say it first. Then, once he'd said it, and as Freed held him and gently stroked his hair, the Rune mage had reciprocated his feelings.

"I still have a hard time believing you enjoy watching me read," Freed said as he finished a rather riveting chapter on the combination of morphemes of one language with phonemes from another to create more complex runes.

Gajeel chuckled and rolled from his stomach onto his side. One leg slid across the soft cotton sheet and lightly caressed the Rune mage's, and the Iron Slayer's fingers trailed up and down Freed's spine. "What can I say?" he whispered, pressing a series of small kisses over one pale shoulder. "You make bein' smart sexy as hell."

Freed let out a small smile while placing a bookmark and setting the book on his nightstand. Finally, he turned in Gajeel's embrace, running his nose across a studded brow. "You are more than welcome to borrow any of my books, if you would like."

"Hell no," Gajeel laughed. "I'll leave the readin' to you."

"Do you not enjoy reading, Gajeel?"

"Nope. Not books, anyway."

"Then, what do you-"

He grinned, his sharper than normal teeth glinting in the light from the nightstand. "Mine's more instinctive. I like reading faces, body language, changes in scent."

"Because of your magic," Freed smirked.

"Something like that," he nodded. Gajeel sighed sleepily as Freed's thin fingers gently brushed over the piercings dotting his face. Six months, they had been together. Six whole months and really, he just couldn't have found someone better suited for him than the mage in his arms.

"Are you tired, Gajeel?" Freed whispered.

"Little bit. You?"

"Not yet."

Gajeel chuckled and slowly sat up on his knees, rolling the Rune mage onto his stomach again. "Then you stay up and read some more," he said, carefully running his fingers through the long green strands of his lover's hair.

"You won't mind?"

"Not a bit." Slowly, he sectioned Freed's hair into three parts and began braiding it the way he'd seen his boyfriend doing any time they were able to spend the night together, and actually went to sleep afterwards. Once he was finished, Gajeel lifted the tied bit of hair at the end and lightly tickled Freed's cheek. "So, read me a bedtime story."

"You will be most assuredly bored, Gajeel," Freed laughed, flinching away from the feathering sensation. Gajeel moved to lie down at his side again, and he reached down to pull the blanket up over his boyfriend's hips. "This is about my magic."

"All the more reason for me to listen," Gajeel replied as his eyes slid closed. "I wanna learn, even if it doesn't make any fuckin' sense to me."

"You are quite the enigma," Freed chuckled. "But, I guess I can read to you."

"You callin' me a damn weirdo?" Gajeel grinned.

"Of course, I am."

"But you love it…"

Freed pulled the book from his nightstand and tucked himself into Gajeel's side while opening it to his marked page. "I do," he nodded, sharing a tender over the shoulder kiss with a smile. "Ah, this should be a good chapter."

"What's it about?" Gajeel yawned.

"Combining graphemes and diacritics from ancient languages to…" Freed let out a quiet laugh when he heard the gentle purr in Gajeel's chest that signalled he was already asleep.

Clearly their activities earlier that night had worn the Dragon Slayer out; although Freed knew he would never admit it. If anything, he was more than surprised by the amount of stamina that Gajeel had. He knew that Dragon Slayers trained to have an exceedingly vast amount of stamina, but Gajeel appeared to go above and beyond even that. It was only Freed's own personal training over the years to play the part of a well-bred man that allowed him to keep up more often than not.

Gajeel liked pain, and he liked being tied down and dominated. He apparently loved the fact that Freed had been able to take what was usually a submissive role and still make the Slayer beg; that he could 'top from the bottom,' Gajeel had said at one point.

Freed had, of course, done a vast amount of research after their first night together to find things that Gajeel might enjoy with the bits of information he'd gained. He liked to submit, but not to be humiliated. It was strange that Freed had naturally found a way to punish Gajeel to correct his behavior in one instance or another: by giving him something he liked, like getting spanked, while withholding something he liked even more and teasing him with it - namely, having the Iron Slayer staying still while inside of him, instead of letting him move. And even though Gajeel was the one that let Freed take the reins while they were in the bedroom - more accurately, when it came to their more libidinous activities, since they weren't always  _in_  a bedroom - the Iron Slayer never lost his domineering presence. They were equals in all things, and the fact that Gajeel could even be with someone like himself was more astounding every day.

Even with all the differences they had on the outside, Freed felt such a deep connection with Gajeel that he couldn't bear the thought of losing him. They had different tastes in music, different senses of style, and he knew that it would be quite the undertaking to get anyone else to understand just why they were together when they seemed to be worlds apart. But Gajeel was the same as Freed in one particular way that mattered the most to the Rune mage.

Gajeel had been abandoned, unloved for years, and he understood Freed's desire to feel strong arms around him. To hear that he was loved. Even though his speech was nothing like Freed's, and he cursed incessantly, Gajeel still loved just as deeply.

With a smile, Freed's fingers strayed to the braid draped over his shoulder. The first time they had actually decided to sleep next to one another was only a week after that secret coffee date. Freed had walked into Gajeel's bedroom - because Pantherlily was out of town with the other Exceeds, they had agreed to stay at the Slayer's house in the woods - working on getting his hair braided, and the Iron Slayer had asked what he was doing. Freed explained that his hair would be in knots in the morning if it wasn't bound in some way, and Gajeel had left it at that simple explanation.

But then, another week had gone by and Gajeel was staying the night at Freed's. And as soon as they'd agreed it was time for bed, the raven-haired mage had settled Freed on the bed and carefully braided his hair. It wasn't too tight or too loose, and when Freed had asked why he'd done it, there had been a faint blush on Gajeel's cheeks as he admitted that he wanted to do something nice for his boyfriend. Freed had barely heard him mumbling about how long it had taken to figure out how to braid his own hair, and that was when he realized that Gajeel had been practicing on himself just to be able to do something for the Rune mage.

Instead of reading, Freed closed the book and turned off the light on his nightstand. He rolled so he was lying on Gajeel's chest, grinning in the darkened room when two strong arms wound around his shoulders and waist to pull him just a little closer. Lips puckering against the lightly tanned chest, Freed's eyes slid closed and he silently thanked the Iron Slayer for being just who he was. For making Freed feel accepted and loved.

* * *

It was during their ninth month of being a couple that Freed came to a startling realization about the Iron Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail. And the first time they had ever argued to the point of Gajeel storming out and disappearing. Normally, if Gajeel got upset, they were still able to talk it out. Or he would walk out into the woods and beat something into a pulp to get out his aggression, only to come back and have Freed beat the rest of his anger right out of him. Then they would talk.

But this time was different, and Freed was left floundering for an answer on how to handle it while Gajeel was simply holed up in his house, not wanting anything to do with the outside world.

The day had been innocuous enough. They were at Freed's house, with the Rune mage getting ready to prepare dinner for the two of them, when he'd asked Gajeel to grab a cookbook from the shelf. Freed wasn't an extraordinary chef, but he had four of the basic 'cookbook staples' in his kitchen. Betty Crocker had saved him on many an occasion.

Gajeel had hesitated, then went over to the shelf and stood in front of it, looking at the books. "Which one did ya need?" he'd asked.

"Betty Crocker, Gajeel," Freed called out from the kitchen, pulling out ingredients from the pantry.

"I don't see it here."

"It's the red one."

Gajeel frowned at the books. "You have two red ones, Freed."

With a groan, the Rune mage walked around the corner and easily plucked the book off the shelf. Holding it up for the Iron Slayer to see, he said, " _Betty. Crocker._  Use your eyes and read the titles. This is not a difficult endeavor."

Granted Freed hadn't been in the best mood that day, considering he'd returned from a mission with the Raijinshuu and had been the subject of several of Bickslow's pranks. They were harmless, but Freed just needed to be with Gajeel. He needed the Iron Slayer to remind him that things were still normal, and to help him relax again.

"We ain't all fuckin' geniuses, Freed," Gajeel growled. "So sorry I couldn't find you a goddamn book."

"It was right in front of your face," Freed hissed. "Your eyesight is better than most."

"I didn't know it was there, alright?!"

"Are you a complete imbecile?!" Freed finally snapped. And that was when things spiralled out of control. "Can you not read? Even Natsu can read, Gajeel. A monkey could have found this book for me faster than you did. Ah, that's right… You  _didn't_  find it for me."

"Who gives a shit about some fuckin' book? They're stupid."

"Books are  _not_  stupid. The people that think they are, are misguided morons." Gajeel knew just how important books were to Freed, and how the Rune mage had only found comfort in his childhood after learning how to read, so he could disappear into a book and live a happier life.

But Freed had forgotten one of Gajeel's biggest issues in that moment. He hated when people called him stupid. Something about it, Freed had been told, made the Iron Slayer feel completely inept. Freed shouldn't have forgotten something so important, especially because he already knew that Gajeel wondered on occasion how someone so intelligent could want to be with him.

The raven-haired mage had always been called stupid, and Freed had sworn to himself that he wouldn't be just another person that thought so little of the man. Gajeel didn't need to worry about feeling inferior to Freed. They were intelligent in their own rights; Freed with his books, and Gajeel with his wisdom.

"Then I'm just a fuckin' moron," Gajeel snarled.

"If you think so little of gaining knowledge that could  _save your life_ , then yes. You are!"

"Well fuckin' excuse me!" Gajeel roared. "Not everyone is smart enough to pick up a fuckin' book and figure out what the hell it means, Freed."

And then he'd left. In the process of slamming the front door to Freed's home, it had been ripped off the hinges and pulled through the jamb on the other side. And Freed, to his great displeasure, had been too angry to realize just what Gajeel had told him. Instead, he'd thrown the cookbook at the door and hastily put everything that could spoil back in it's proper spot, then went to the guild and took a solo mission.

He didn't need his team with him right then, asking what was the matter. He couldn't have told them anyway, because Gajeel had asked to keep their relationship a private matter. The Iron Slayer asked for so little, that Freed never had an issue with it. And even though Freed would have loved to just talk to someone about it, he refused.

But two weeks, a broken wrist, split lip, black eye, and sprained ankle later from his solo mission that should have had another mage to back him up later, Freed was running through their fight in his head. He'd been too upset while on the mission, and had nearly gotten himself killed. And Freed had wanted to be angry at Gajeel for making him lose his control so thoroughly.

But when he thought about what had happened, aside from the fact that he'd broken his word in calling Gajeel an idiot when Freed knew he wasn't, the Rune mage had paused in his slow trek from the train station toward the guild to turn his mission in.

" _Not everyone is smart enough to pick up a fuckin' book and figure out what the hell it means, Freed."_

Finding the cookbook shouldn't have been difficult, but Gajeel had been right. Freed did have two red cookbooks on the shelf. And if that was the only way the Iron Slayer could have told the difference between them, then he could see where the agitation came from.

" _Read me a story, Freed," Gajeel whispered sleepily, cuddling up to the Rune mage. "I love it when you read to me."_

But Freed was sure that he had to be wrong. It couldn't possibly be true that Gajeel, of all people, couldn't read the titles.

When he thought about it, however, all Freed could remember were the times he'd asked Gajeel to get a book for him, and how the Iron Slayer would ask if it was the right one based on the picture on the cover.

" _The one with the weird tribal shit on the cover, right?" Gajeel asked, holding the dark green leather-bound novel with a frown._

Gajeel preferred watching something on the lacrimavision to reading a book, even though Freed had seen the glint of interest when he'd heard that the Game of Thrones series was even more enthralling in text.

" _I have the books if you'd like to borrow them," Freed said while pausing the show._

" _Nah," Gajeel sighed. "I'll just stick with watching it. You're the reader, not me."_

Someone bumped into Freed while walking past, and he was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts. He pulled the lacrima from his bag and continued on his way, adjusting his course to go home instead of the guild. Once Mira's face appeared in the orb, smiling happily at him, he said, "Mira, the mission has been completed. Would you please log it in the guild book?"

"Sure, Freed," Mira replied. "You look like you got a little roughed up out there. Do you need Wendy?"

"No, thank you," Freed smiled tightly. "I stopped at the town's doctor before returning. I would just like to go home and rest now, though."

"Sure thing. Want me to let your team know to give you some resting time?"

"That would be helpful, yes," he smiled, just a little more easily. In the next moment, Laxus was on the lacrima, his bright blue eyes hard and steely. "Hello, Laxus."

"You got hurt?"

"It is nothing I cannot handle, I assure you."

"You wanna tell me why you up and fucking disappeared?"

"Personal reasons, Laxus," Freed sighed. "I simply wished to take a mission alone. I hope you understand."

There was a long silence of Laxus simply staring at the Rune mage, noticing how he was limping by the difference in his gait in comparison to the background. "Broken or sprained?"

"Just a sprain," Freed answered.

"Check in with me before you pull this shit again." With that, the screen was dark. And once the lacrima was back in his bag, Freed kept carefully making his way home, trying to decide just what to do with the realization that Gajeel was, in fact, illiterate.

* * *

The next day, Freed was slowly walking through town with a bag slung over his shoulder. When he'd only gotten a block away from his home and his injured ankle began protesting the strain, Freed had quickly written the runes for his wings and continued on his way.

And when he was finally in the woods and carefully landing in front of the familiar little cottage that Gajeel had built with his own hands, Freed took a steadying breath and knocked on the door.

When there was only silence, Freed bit his lips to keep from just calling out to the Slayer. He would sound desperate, he knew. So Freed knocked again, and again there was no answer.

There was, however, a sound on the other side of the door, then a low voice that he couldn't quite understand with how muffled it was.

And finally, as the door opened, Freed was faced with something that made his heart stutter in fear. Pantherlily. As far as anyone else was concerned, he had no reason to speak with Gajeel. Then again, Gajeel might have felt the same way.

"Freed, how are you?" Pantherlily smiled politely while backing away from the door to invite the Rune mage inside. "I haven't seen you in the guild in some time."

"Yes, I… decided to take a job on my own."

"Well, you're here in one piece, so I'll call it a success," Pantherlily chuckled, closing the door and leading Freed toward the living room.

"It, um… Yes, I suppose it was successful," Freed replied. He let out a relieved breath once he was off his feet, setting his bag on the floor just next to him.

"Do you want some tea?" the black Exceed asked. "Something to eat?"

"Oh, no thank you. I just came to speak with Gajeel. If he is here?"

Pantherlily rolled his eyes, shaking his head in exasperation. "He's here," he groaned. "And having quite the temper tantrum. It might be better to talk with him some other time."

Freed knew that how Gajeel was acting was his fault. Instead of listening to what his boyfriend had been saying, or catching the very obvious signs, he'd been blinded by his anger. And now it was time to try and make things right. Hopefully, Gajeel would listen to him.

"I believe that is my fault," Freed said uncomfortably, wincing when Pantherlily blinked in surprise. "He and I had an argument of sorts."

"When-"

"What the fuck are you doin' in my goddamn house, nerd?" Gajeel growled from the doorway, glaring at the back of Freed's head. "Lily, show his condescending ass outta here."

"Gajeel," the Exceed sighed, "Don't be rude."

"No? Fine, I'll do it myself." With another low growl, Gajeel stalked over to the tensed Rune mage and grabbed his wrist, roughly yanking him from the couch.

He didn't expect Freed to cry out in pain, or to crumple to the ground as he stumbled forward.

"Freed, are you alright?" Pantherlily asked, dashing toward the green-haired mage on the ground.

Gajeel stood with wide eyes as he smelled salt in the air, a strangled whimper crackling in his throat when Freed didn't move. He just sat there, clutching his left arm to his chest and grabbing his opposite ankle with his free hand.

"Freed," Pantherlily said as he stood at the mage's side. "What is it?" He turned to glare at Gajeel, ready to yell at the Slayer for being an asshole. And then he was shoved to the side as Gajeel burst into action and knelt on the ground.

"Freed, what happened?" Gajeel whispered. When there was no response except for deep, shaky breaths through gritted teeth, he reached up and carefully lifted the Rune mage's chin to look into his eyes.

One thumb brushed over the swollen cheek and darkened eye socket. The other lightly touched the scab on his puffy lip. Gajeel's crimson eyes burned with barely contained fury when he looked down to see a dark red cast mostly hidden by the sleeve of Freed's jacket, the same wrist he'd grabbed to get the Rune mage to stand. When he glanced down at the foot that Freed was holding, his nostrils flared when he realized the boot was bulkier than normal.

Freed whimpered, fighting to keep his arm to his chest as Gajeel reached for it, and relenting once he felt how gently those thick, calloused fingers were while brushing over his fingertips.

Pantherlily stayed silent, instead just watching as Gajeel unbuttoned Freed's coat and carefully pushed it down his shoulders. Once it was laid off to the side - with far more care than the Iron Slayer ever showed to his own clothes - he slowly rolled up the unbuttoned sleeve and inspected the cast that nearly reached up to Freed's elbow.

"You broke it," Gajeel whispered.

"I-I did."

"And your ankle?"

"Just a sprain…"

"What the hell are you doin' here?" Gajeel growled. "You should be laid out in a bed and gettin' better."

"I… I had to see you."

"I ain't got a goddamn thing to say to ya, Freed," Gajeel frowned. "Go home."

"Gajeel," Pantherlily scowled. "Freed came all this way to speak with you. The least you could do is listen to him."

"I don't gotta do a fucking thing, Lily," Gajeel spat.

"Gajeel, I'm sorry," Freed said quickly. "I didn't mean what I said. I just… I didn't know."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Freed lowered his gaze from the strong profile he'd memorized months ago, finding Gajeel still tenderly grasping his cast and their fingertips lightly touching. "You do. Don't play dumb with me."

"That's what I am though, right?" Gajeel whispered. "I'm just a fuckin' idiot. S'what you said."

"I was just upset," Freed insisted. "I wasn't thinking, and I-"

"You don't do a goddamn  _thing_  without thinkin'."

"Gajeel, please," Freed whimpered as the Iron Slayer went to pull away. "I know you are not stupid. I am sorry."

"Sorry ain't cuttin' it," Gajeel said, turning his head away. "Not this time."

"But… I can help, if you want. If I had just known that you… Well, I-I can-"

"So I can be yer sad little pet project?" Gajeel snapped. "Big bad Slayer can't read a fuckin' book to save his goddamn life, so you'll take me on?"

Pantherlily blinked in surprise at that.  _'Gajeel doesn't… I never realized…'_  He'd just never paid any mind to the fact that his partner always let him choose the missions. When Gajeel chose them, Pantherlily would read through them to see what they were doing, and on occasion would question Gajeel's choice. They had nearly gone to work as janitors at a strip club, but once Pantherlily had mentioned what the job was, Gajeel had blanched and said he grabbed the wrong one. Then he'd just told the Exceed to get one that looked good and went back to eating his metal.

"That's not it!" Freed insisted.

"It is though," Gajeel spat. "I've gone my whole life without needin' it. Why should I learn now?"

"Because everyone should know how to read," Freed said instantly. "I taught myself, and I can teach you."

"I'm too stupid to fucking learn," Gajeel sneered. "I already know that. You said it yerself - even Salamander can do it…"

"Natsu didn't know how to read when he joined the guild," Freed said softly. "Except for different types of food and money. Erza had to teach him."

"He was a fuckin' kid then. I'm a damn adult…"

"And did you ever try?" Freed asked gently.

"'Course I tried," the Iron Slayer spat. "It's too confusin'. Metallicana never bothered with teaching me. He said I didn't need it."

Freed reached up with his uninjured hand and cupped Gajeel's chin, slowly guiding the pierced mage to look at him again. Once their eyes locked, Freed gave him a tender smile. And it was then that he really got a chance to look at his boyfriend. Even with tears blurring his vision, he could see the bags under Gajeel's crimson eyes from what he was sure had been two weeks of little to no sleep. He'd finally come to understand part of why Gajeel needed someone to dominate him; the Iron Slayer couldn't sleep for more than a couple hours unless he'd gotten that rush from being beaten. He was too tense otherwise.

"Please allow me to teach you, Gajeel. No matter how long it takes, I will help you learn."

"Why should  _you_  care if I can read?"

"Because that is what one does when they love another," Freed smiled. He had already forgotten that they weren't alone, having spent so much time with Gajeel where there were no prying eyes that he'd easily fallen into that same comfortable peace they usually had. "Will you forgive me for being an inconsiderate buffoon?"

"You callin' yerself stupid now?" Gajeel smirked.

"I am," Freed chuckled. "I believe my actions have warranted that title."

"Y'ain't stupid… Dumbass…"

"Ah, but you just called me dumb. I would be offended, but I can readily admit that I have not been acting very intelligent as of late."

With a roll of his eyes, Gajeel brought their lips together, laughing softly as he rested one hand on the back of Freed's neck. He wanted to be angry, but the sight of Freed being hurt had him forgetting about everything else, for the most part. For the first time in a long while, he was struggling to stay angry. He just couldn't hate Freed for saying something in the heat of the moment, especially because it was his own fault that the Rune mage didn't know why Gajeel had gotten so upset at the time.

"Please, Gajeel… Forgive me?" Freed whispered against his lips, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.

Gajeel let out a long breath through his nose, then nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "Now I need to get yer ass layin' down before we have to cut your foot off."

"It isn't that bad," Freed laughed. When he shifted to stand, he gasped as pain roared up the length of his calf.

"Yeah, I thought so." Gajeel stood and easily lifted the Rune mage into his arms, then turned and froze at the sight of Pantherlily smirking at the two of them.

"Well, this is a surprise," the Exceed crooned.

"Lily, it's uh… It's not what you think."

"Definitely not," Freed quickly agreed.

"Oh," Pantherlily chuckled. "So, you two aren't in a scandalous, secret relationship, then? It's surprising, but…" He simply shrugged. There was no way he would judge the two for being with someone that made them happy. And he had definitely never seen Gajeel with that look in his eyes as the two had separated from their tender embrace, as though Freed was the only one in the world that existed. "Oddly precious."

"Well, uh…"

Freed sighed and rested his head on Gajeel's chest. "There is really no point in lying," he chuckled. "Pantherlily, we would both appreciate your discretion."

"You don't want anyone to know?" the Exceed asked. When both mages nodded, he shrugged again. "If that's what you want, then I won't tell a soul."

Gajeel sighed and shook his head. Really, if there was anyone he trusted knowing about his relationship with Freed, it was his best friend. It wasn't like the Exceed would betray his trust. He never had before. "Thanks, Lily."

Just as Gajeel began walking out, Freed quickly said, "My bag. I brought something over…"

Pantherlily grabbed the bag and activated his wings, following Gajeel toward the Slayer's bedroom. As the Rune mage was settled on the bed, he placed it on the floor. "Gajeel, I'll be heading to the guild. I'm sure you would like some time alone." With that, he gave the two a small smile before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Gajeel sat down on the bed and gently removed Freed's boots, tossing them to the floor. He carefully removed the Rune mage's socks, frowning down at the sight of a simple ace bandage wrapped around the swollen ankle.

Freed couldn't help but smile just a little bit as his leg was lifted and his ankle placed on a folded up section of the blanket. "You spoil me, Gajeel," he chuckled.

"Eh, yer kinda worth it," Gajeel shrugged. He moved to the other side of the bed and laid down with one arm beneath his head, his free hand seeking out the tips of Freed's fingers where they poked out of the cast. "You write with this hand…"

"I do. I can write with my other hand if it's necessary, but it's hardly legible. I won't be able to write runes though." The runes for his wings were wholly different than the others he employed. Those, he could do with either hand, and supplement the less precise characters from using his off-hand by channeling a little more magic than normal.

"How long are you in the cast for?"

"About six weeks."

"Damn," Gajeel sighed. At the small twitch in Freed's fingers, his gaze lifted to lock with saddened turquoise eyes. "What?"

"I wish you had just told me, Gajeel."

"Didn't see the point," he muttered. "I've never been able to learn. Hell, I only know that the more numbers there are, the better the reward for jobs… Lily takes care of that shit normally."

"What about before you had found him?"

Gajeel sighed and rolled onto his back, glaring up at the ceiling. "After my old man ditched me, I wandered around for a while. Then I joined Phantom. Jose gave me jobs he wanted me to do, and paid me for it."

"And what about when you joined Fairy Tail?" Freed asked, turning his head to look at the mage next to him.

"Master was having me spy on Raven Tail," he replied. "I didn't take normal jobs then, either. He did the same shit as Jose - paid me for what he told me to do. And at Raven Tail, it was the same damn thing. Then I found Lily, and we partnered up… And I just let him do the reading."

"What about signing documents?" Freed asked with a frown. "Can you write?"

"Nope. I just do a fuckin' squiggle when I've gotta sign something. Doesn't happen all that often, but when I joined the guild, Master made me sign some shit."

"Well, if you will allow me to… I am willing to teach you to do both."

Gajeel's head slowly turned until he was looking at Freed. With how they were laying, the Rune mage's bangs were nearly covering both of his eyes, so he reached up and pushed them back and away from his face. "You really taught yerself?" he whispered.

"I did," Freed nodded. "I had no one else to care for me, and the library was warm at night, and never closed. If I was there, reading or writing, they wouldn't make me leave."

Gajeel smiled sadly at the little tidbit of Freed's past. They'd both had it pretty damn hard growing up, but at least he'd had a parent that he remembered. His sweet, mildly shy (unless they were naked, or well on their way to it) boyfriend had only himself for years until joining the guild.

And it was then that he realized just how much Freed had talked about his own past, about things that he'd had to deal with and his own fears and shortcomings. But Gajeel had kept most of his own issues to himself. He'd never had a solid relationship like the one with the Rune mage, and he sure as hell didn't want to scare the guy off.

"You…" Gajeel bit his cheek as he rolled onto his side again, his fingers brushing over Freed's and up to the cast on his arm. "You don't mind? I'm not good at shit like this…"

"Not one bit," Freed replied with a tender smile. "I would love to get started right now, but getting over here while on pain medication has made me, more or less, exhausted."

Gajeel scoffed playfully. "You just came over here to cuddle with me."

"To apologize," Freed corrected, a light flush to his cheeks. "But cuddling sounds wonderful."

"Want me to braid yer hair first?" Gajeel whispered.

He hummed and shook his head as the Iron Slayer helped him move just enough so his back was pressed to Gajeel's chest. "It's not necessary. You can brush it for me later, if you would like." He could feel the slow smile stretching over Gajeel's lips. It was so simple to make his boyfriend happy sometimes, just by allowing the Iron Slayer to spoil him with menial tasks like brushing his hair.

"What was in the bag?" Gajeel asked, his arm winding around Freed's waist and being careful of his injured wrist.

"Books," Freed yawned. "I had… decided that even if you didn't want my help personally, you could… take them…"

Gajeel lightly nuzzled the Rune mage's emerald hair. "Yer a damn sweetheart," he whispered. "Get some sleep now."

"I love you, Gajeel," Freed sighed.

"Love you too, ya little nerd," he chuckled.

"You should rest as well," Freed whispered as his eyes slid closed. "I'm here now..."

"Sure thing, sexy." Within moments, Freed was asleep and Gajeel was left wondering just how he'd lucked out so damn much in having a man like Freed actually love him.

* * *

During the first two weeks the Rune mage was restricted to bedrest for his ankle - and spending all of that time over at Gajeel's house, because his team had taken a job that would last nearly a month - the couple had started working on Gajeel's inability to read. They had gone through the alphabet, and Freed realized that Gajeel just didn't know what the letters looked like. He knew them, and how they sounded, but when shown a card that had a random letter on it, the Iron Slayer was at a loss for what the symbol was called. Next came slowly working through different words, with Freed instructing Gajeel to look at the letters individually, then sound it out. Gajeel had fought him on that, however, when he tried and said that he sounded ridiculous. Freed told him that it was the same way he learned, and even if he sounded ridiculous to himself, the Rune mage was still proud of his boyfriend.

The day that Freed had written out Gajeel's full name had been one worth remembering. The look on the Iron Slayer's face when he'd read it slowly, how he'd been struggling with the two 'e's in the middle because he'd forgotten to elongate the sound, was something Freed would never forget. When Gajeel had gotten to his last name, it had been easier, and that was when the sudden light bulb had gone off over his head. He'd looked back to the first word, his pierced brow furrowing as he moved through the letters again. A slow smile crept across his lips, and he'd read the two words easily, his voice quivering as he whispered, "Gajeel Redfox."

It wasn't always easy, and Gajeel got frustrated that he wasn't picking it up faster as they rounded out their third week. But Freed wasn't going to give up, and he constantly reminded his boyfriend that he was doing an amazing job. Freed loved seeing how Gajeel blushed when he was praised. And that was when the Rune mage had decided to take their lessons into the bedroom. What better way to give Gajeel even more motivation to please him, while also helping him learn.

For every correct word, Gajeel was rewarded. Freed would pleasure him in one way or another, whether it was by teasing his piercings or giving his arousal long, languid licks. As he got more answers correct, Freed would adjust accordingly by ramping up his own ministrations on the writhing mage. All the while, he would take no pleasure for himself. He only attended to Gajeel's needs, putting his own physical desires to the side until after the lesson was complete.

When he struggled with a word, Freed would slow down on whatever their current activity was until Gajeel got it right, then he would be rewarded. And Freed would ensure that his lover didn't climax until the entire lesson was complete.

And when the Iron Slayer started doubting himself, Freed would have him kneel, naked, on the floor and took a riding crop to his thighs. He would be gagged, his hands bound in cuffs and resting over his genitals to protect them from Freed's strikes. And all the while, Gajeel would be lectured on the merits of wanting to learn even though he wasn't a child, and how disappointed Freed would be if he gave up just because it wasn't easy.

It was during one of those particular punishments that Freed learned that a stern lecture was a form of humiliation that Gajeel was alright with. Most other types of humiliation were too harsh for him. And when Freed had slipped and called the Iron Slayer "Little Dragon," he'd finally found the perfect punishment.

Gajeel had been stubborn, accepting the strikes to his thighs and even his arms and chest, but Freed had seen the defiance in his eyes and the firm set of his jaw.

_"You disappoint me, Little Dragon."_

Those two little words, however, had broken Gajeel's stubborn streak. His shoulders had dropped and shuddered, and his head bowed in submission. And Freed had almost missed the nearly silent words that had come from him.

_"I-I'm sorry, Master. I'll try harder to... to p-please you. I'm s-sorry I disappoint you..."_

That night in particular had been rather rough on the Iron Slayer. Gajeel had already been punished earlier in the day while Pantherlily was gone, and it had taken nearly an hour to get the Iron Slayer off the floor to lie on the bed where Freed could hold him more easily. But once they were lying down together, Freed had been able to see that a slight weight had been lifted from his lover's shoulders. He believed in himself again, and that was what mattered most to the Rune mage. He was reading simple books though, still not ready to move on to novels just yet, but they'd started working on teaching him to write. Freed had a hard enough time holding the pen in his opposite hand, and had struggled to make the letters legible while showing Gajeel how to go about writing each one. Yes, Gajeel knew what they looked like, but it was also important for him to learn to write them properly and efficiently.

The issue had come about when Pantherlily had walked into the dining room with several bags of food from the market for dinner, and had commented on Gajeel's current attempt at writing his own name.

" _That looks great, Gajeel. You've really improved."_

Two simple sentences, both praising the Iron Slayer's efforts, had Freed hobbling after him as he stormed out of the house once the Exceed was busy in the kitchen. Gajeel had gone far enough that he couldn't hear Pantherlily moving about inside before the Iron Slayer turned and started pummeling a tree with his bare fists. By the time Freed caught sight of him, with his ankle throbbing and gritting his teeth against the pain, Gajeel was curled up at the base of the tree with his hands in his hair.

"I can't do this," Gajeel whispered to himself.

"Gajeel," Freed called out. "God, please come back here… This hurts…" He continued limping forward, the cast around his arm resting in the sling he'd forgotten to put on when he'd gone to apologize to Gajeel three weeks prior. "Gajeel!"

Still Freed moved forward, more determined to make it to his lover when he heard a nearly silent sniffle.

Slowly, Freed lowered himself to the ground between Gajeel's drawn up knees. "Gajeel, what is the matter?"

"I can't do this shit," he whispered shakily. "It's too hard."

"You were doing just fine before Pantherlily returned," Freed countered.

"But he saw me doin' it," Gajeel whimpered. "I-I don't…"

"Are you ashamed of him seeing you?" Freed asked.

Sheepishly, he nodded. There was no point in lying to his boyfriend. Freed would have known in an instant if he was trying to keep it to himself.

"But you have no issues with me seeing you learning," Freed mused. "I watch you every day, and see just how much you have improved, and it makes me so  _proud_  of you, Gajeel." He groaned in discomfort while scooting forward, his still-injured ankle dragging on the ground so he wouldn't have to move it too much.

Gajeel's head lifted slightly, his glistening crimson eyes looking down at the Rune mage's smiling face. "That's different. I don't mind it as much, because… W-Well…"

"Because I am the one teaching you?" Freed supplied. When Gajeel nodded again, he sighed and lifted his uninjured hand to the Slayer's cheek. "Pantherlily supports you, Gajeel. He's just as proud as I am that you are doing this."

"I just… I feel so fuckin' stupid," he mumbled. "It's my goddamn name. I should already know how to-"

"You are  _learning_ ," Freed insisted gently. "You know how to spell it, and how to read it. Now, it's just a matter of practicing to write it. At some point, I will teach you cursive, so you can decide how to do your own signature, but Gajeel…"

The raven-haired mage gasped as his lips were captured in a heated, wanting kiss. Desire curled in his gut, pulling his hands from his hair so he could wrap them around the smaller mage's waist. He helped to lift Freed into his lap, groaning as he felt those thin legs straddling his hips.

"I love watching you learn," Freed rasped, biting harshly at his lips.

"F-Freed…"

"I love seeing you focus on the task at hand." He took a meandering path across Gajeel's jaw in tender bites until he sucked a pierced earlobe into his mouth. "And knowing that you are trying to do this, no matter how difficult, makes me love you even more."

Gajeel stopped his hands from moving to grab Freed's hips, freezing in place as the mage in his lap pulled back with a gentle smile.

"Every day," Freed whispered. "Every single day, I fall in love with you all over again. Because of your conviction, your perseverance. You struggle with this, and I can see how much you want to give up from time to time. And, even though I have helped you work through some of that, you are the one who pushes forward."

"I don't," Gajeel whispered back. "That's all you."

"No," Freed chuckled. "I am simply a teacher. If a student does not wish to learn, if there is no  _desire_  for knowledge, then both student and teacher will fail. You make me into a better person by allowing me to guide you."

"That's not-"

"Do not deny it," Freed replied happily. "You doing this is inspiring, Gajeel. You  _do_  make me a better person, because when I look at you… When I see how many times you've wanted to give up, and that you only resolved to keep working through it… I want to be more like you."

"Freed…" Really, Gajeel was just speechless. He didn't know what had come over his boyfriend, but he couldn't find it in himself to deny a thing the guy was saying. And sure, Gajeel had been proud as hell that he'd finally managed to learn how to read, even if he still wasn't all that great at it, because he could look back and remind himself that at one point, only a month before, he couldn't even do that.

"When Pantherlily compliments your efforts, he sees the same thing," Freed said. "This is nothing to be ashamed of, Gajeel. I want you to only feel proud of what you are doing, and what you have accomplished."

"I-I…" Gajeel moaned as Freed's lips descended on his, ferociously at first, then gradually slowing until he wasn't sure where one breath ended and the next began. "I love you," he whispered between kisses.

"And I love you," Freed smiled. "Tell me you're proud of yourself."

"Mmm…"

"Say it," Freed chuckled, drawing back to look into Gajeel's half-opened eyes and lazy grin. "I want to know you believe it as well."

"I'm proud," Gajeel whispered.

"What are you proud of?" Freed asked, threading his fingers through Gajeel's wild raven locks.

"I'm proud of my dumb ass - OW!" Gajeel's eyes narrowed at the sharp pulling sensation along his scalp, glaring at his boyfriend's smug smile. It was scary as hell that the smaller man just  _knew_  when to do something like that.

"You are not dumb," Freed sniffed. "You know I will not abide that type of self-deprecation."

"So… Don't talk shit about myself?"

"Precisely," the Rune mage chuckled. "The fact that you continuously translate what I say is testament enough that you are intelligent, Gajeel."

"Trust me, I have no idea how the hell I know what yer talkin' about half the time."

"Because we learn by observing," Freed answered, his grip on Gajeel's hair loosening. "But, we have gotten off topic. What are you proud of?"

Gajeel sighed and leaned his head back against the tree. "I'm proud that I le..." he muttered, his voice tapering off into silence.

"Louder."

"I'm proud that I learned how to read," Gajeel repeated more clearly.

"Is that all?"

"And… that I didn't give up?"

Freed smiled encouragingly. "Don't ask me," he chuckled. "Is that something that makes you proud?" When Gajeel shrugged, he added much more quietly, his voice sobering a little, "Is this something that Metallicana would be proud of?"

"I… I dunno," Gajeel whispered sadly. "He always told me there wasn't any point in learnin' it. I'm pretty sure he just didn't know how to do it either, so he couldn't even teach me if he wanted to."

"Well, from what you have told me about him," Freed whispered, his fingers tenderly combing through his lover's hair, "He most likely would not have told you that he was proud. But, as a parent, I am sure that he would be proud of you for this."

"Probably not," Gajeel frowned. His gaze broke away from Freed's until his head was tipped back, forcing their eyes to meet again. "I don't think he was proud of any of the shit I did. I'm… I've always been a slow learner."

"You are picking this up very quickly, Gajeel."

"Yeah, but with my magic… I…" He winced and wrapped his arms around Freed and he let out an agitated breath against the Rune mage's neck. "I'm always the last one to learn shit. Wendy's a little fuckin' kid, and she's already learned Dragon Force. And… I was the last to start getting motion sickness. Laxus has a damn lacrima and he still had it way before me. I'm just not as much of a Slayer as the others…"

"Gajeel," Freed frowned. "You are just as much-"

"No," he sighed. "I ain't. I get left in the dust all the damn time, and I'm just strugglin' to keep up with everyone else. It's always been like that for me."

"And… this has bothered you for some time?"

Gajeel nodded slowly. "Ever since I met Salamander and kidnapped Bunny Girl… I just… I wanna be  _better_  at  _something_. And with Lily seeing that I still don't know how to do this shit, no matter how hard I fuckin' try… I'm just right back at square one. Still the last one to the fuckin' punch."

Freed wrapped his uninjured arm around Gajeel more tightly, his nose nestled in the Iron Slayer's hair. "You've gotten better, Gajeel," he said. "A month ago, you couldn't read at all. You didn't know which letter was which, or anything else. And while you might still be behind the others  _for now_ , I will not let that be the case any longer."

"You can't just change shit to make me feel better, Freed," Gajeel sniffled. He hated that it was upsetting him this much, but really… He'd gone long enough not getting shit off his chest. He knew that he could tell Pantherlily anything, but there were just some things that he was really only comfortable telling Freed. The Rune mage was his safe haven, never having judged him for anything he'd done wrong. He was understanding, gentle, kind… Everything that Gajeel wasn't more often than not.

"No, but where Erza and the rest of the guild gave up in teaching Natsu, I will not with you," Freed smiled. "He can read, but his spelling and penmanship are atrocious. He still does struggle to read things, Gajeel. And Laxus… I will have a coronary if he ever decides to become an author like Lucy aspires to be."

"That bad?" Gajeel chuckled.

"It is horrendous. She has taken over my duty of proofreading things for him," Freed laughed. "I miss it on occasion, but really… I am glad that they spend so much time together."

"Well, Bunny loves him," Gajeel shrugged. "They should spend time together."

Freed blushed slightly. "You know, I have rather enjoyed spending so much time with you," he whispered.

"Me too."

"Do you think that maybe it is time we let others know about our relationship?"

Gajeel shook his head, his hands sliding down to the fine leather belt that was looped through Freed's pants. "Not yet," he sighed. "Maybe… Maybe soon, though. After yer done teachin' me. That way, if yer team randomly shows up at yer place, they won't see… Y'know…"

"My team knocks," Freed chuckled. "But, if that is your goal, then fine. We will not tell anyone until our lessons are done."

"Just writing," Gajeel corrected. "I wanna be able to write first." He couldn't explain why, not to the Rune mage, but it was important to him that he was at least able to write before people found out they were together. He was sure Natsu, and maybe Wendy, had picked up on the subtle changes in Gajeel's scent from being around Freed, but Laxus sure as hell hadn't. He was too preoccupied more often than not with either learning his upcoming duties as guildmaster, or with Lucy, and Gajeel never really spent much time around the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

"Very well," Freed smiled. "We should get inside though. I am sure that Pantherlily is awaiting our return."

"Probably, but…" Gajeel bit his lip and looked into Freed's eyes again. "I wanna do somethin' for ya."

"And what might that be?" Freed asked curiously. His eyes widened at the barely noticeable flush to Gajeel's cheeks, one that only appeared when he was about to suggest something that one or both of them would really enjoy in the bedroom.

"I, uh… I was thinkin' maybe we could try something… I've never done it before, but with yer hand all fucked up, it'll make things easier, I think."

"Do tell," Freed whispered, his voice hardly a breath.

"Can I show you instead?" Gajeel watched as Freed's eyes flashed with excitement, the slow nod he received causing his hands to clasp together behind his lover's back. "You can tell me no, if yer not interested," he whispered while channeling his magic into his hands. "I just... I wanna thank you for doin' all this. For helpin' me, and teachin' me."

Freed nodded again, waiting patiently as Gajeel finished whatever it was he was making with his iron. And once the Slayer's hands were between them, Freed found himself breathless. Several rings were connected in a line along a bar curving downward, a final thicker ring sitting at one end. "Is this… what I think it is?"

Gajeel smirked and carefully settled it in Freed's hand. "I was thinkin'... maybe you'd wanna put this on me before we go back in? Then… Later…"

"You want me to cage you," Freed chuckled. "I was unaware that taming dragons was an achievable feat."

"It is," Gajeel laughed quietly. "At least, with me and you, it is."

The Rune mage hummed in contentment as he leaned forward, pressing their lips together. "If you make a cock ring for me to put on you tonight, after I've taken this off, then yes."

"Damn," Gajeel breathed, his voice shuddering with excitement. "That, too?"

"Yes," Freed grinned. Slowly he started moving backwards, sighing as Gajeel shifted and helped him sit on the ground without further hurting his ankle. By the look in those deep crimson eyes, they would need to get the cage on his tenacious lover before too long. "Pants, Gajeel. I will need your help putting this on."

He nodded and quickly unbuttoned his pants, on the verge of tripping over himself with how eager he was for this. Really, Gajeel knew that he shouldn't be so ready for it, because it was going to suck like hell when Freed started teasing him later on, but just the thought of getting to experience it was already starting to make him restless. He just wanted to see the Rune mage smiling, and feel the powerful aura that radiated from the smaller man as he dominated the Iron Slayer. Freed smiled and leaned forward once Gajeel's mostly soft member was pulled from the confines of his boxers. Slowly, his tongue slipped past his lips and circled the base of Gajeel's shaft, down and around his sac, over each of the piercings lining his cock. Finally, he let out a quiet moan while his lips wrapped around it and took every inch of his soft flesh into his mouth.

"Freed," Gajeel whimpered. "I'm gonna have to get this on now, or… F-Fuck, that feels good…" As soon as the Rune mage pulled away, a devilish smile on his lips, Gajeel situated the iron cage around himself, carefully pulling his balls through the ring sitting near the base of his shaft. Thankfully, he was knowledgeable enough about his own dick that he'd spaced the different rings out to lie between the barbells in his Jacob's Ladder piercing.

Once it was in place, Freed chuckled and dove forward again, moaning as he took the caged cock into his mouth.

"Shit," Gajeel hissed.

"Make the cock ring now, Gajeel," Freed rasped, his eyes trailing up over his boyfriend's heaving chest. His tongue burned a searing path over the mostly bared tip in tight, wet circles. "When this comes off, I'll be putting that on you."

"Y-Yes, Master," Gajeel moaned. It was so simple to switch back into their roles as Master and submissive. The sudden drop in his boyfriend's voice let Gajeel know just what Freed wanted from him.

"You'll wear it," Freed continued, leaning back to watch as Gajeel's hands clasped together again, a gentle green glow wisping from them. "And I'll slowly ride you. I will tease you until you are begging for release. And just when you can't take anymore..."

Gajeel bit his lip to hold back a groan as his cock twitched within the cage.

"I will stop and spank you, make you kiss every inch of my body."

"F-Fuck..." Gajeel whimpered when his arousal was constricted by the cage. "Master, you're..."

"You've been punished enough today," he continued, reaching forward to lightly fondle the Iron Slayer's balls. "So I will treat you to a night of pleasure. How does that sound?"

"It sounds perfect, Master."

"Even if I tease you until you can hardly move?"

Gajeel nodded, groaning when Freed quickly smacked the tips of his fingers on the sensitive flesh of his sac. "Y-Yes, Master," he whispered. "You can tease me all you want."

"I want you to be ravenous, Gajeel," Freed hissed, running a finger under the Iron Slayer's shaft and over his piercings. "I want you to pin me down and fuck me, and make me scream your name so everyone in town can hear just how much you satisfy me."

Gajeel's breath stuttered, and his body quivered with desire as his cock tried to harden and was held down by the cage. It wasn't often that Freed wanted him to lose control. Usually, it just happened, and afterward the Rune mage was more than satisfied by what they'd done. Still, it was always his goal to get the man's permission to let loose the way he was talking about.

"Make sure that ring will come off quickly if we need it to," Freed said. "If there is an emergency, I need to be able to remove it."

Gajeel nodded, his eyes closing as he focused on the metal forming between his hands. He began panting as Freed continued teasing him with long licks to his confined member, then rough bites along his thighs and pelvis. Once it was done, he handed it to Freed for a closer inspection and nearly collapsed back onto the ground once the his boyfriend pulled away.

The Rune mage smiled his approval and placed the metal ring in his pocket. "Good, Gajeel. I love it when you aim to please me."

"I love pleasing you," Gajeel smirked.

"Fix your clothes," Freed said coolly. "Then, if you would, please help me get back inside."

Gajeel quickly righted his pants and boxers, then pulled Freed to his feet. When he felt the Rune mage leaning more heavily against him as they walked back toward his house, Gajeel frowned. "You feelin' alright?"

"I did hurry to catch you," Freed sighed.

"I'm sorry," Gajeel whispered.

The green-haired mage smiled, gently nuzzling Gajeel's side. "You have nothing to apologize for, Gajeel. I understand." He chuckled quietly when he was lifted into the Iron Slayer's arms. "Oh, did I mention you are being handcuffed to the bed tonight?"

Gajeel stumbled, quickly righting himself, then blinked down at his boyfriend. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"I am sure it has come up on occasion," Freed laughed.

Gajeel knew very well the devious look in Freed's eyes. "Yer gonna torture the shit outta me…"

"Yes, and I already know you will love every second of it."

That night, the two were never happier that Freed's runes could soundproof Gajeel's bedroom. Gajeel definitely achieved his goal of letting loose with the Rune mage, and the smaller man's voice took three days to return.

* * *

After Freed's cast had come off, he needed to do physical therapy. His ankle was healed, and Wendy had checked to make sure there was no weakness in the joint. However, as a guild mage, he also needed to take a job. While still in a brace, Freed wasn't able to contribute nearly as much as normal, but he was more than thankful that the rest of the Raijinshuu picked up the slack without a comment.

Even Bickslow was behaving himself. Then again, the Seith mage had been a little more reserved since Freed returned from his solo mission as injured as he'd been. He was still a prankster, but not nearly as much on that mission in particular.

Freed could only assume that Laxus had spoken with the Seith mage.

They had been away from Magnolia for two days, and wouldn't return for another five. Freed had spent so much time with Gajeel while his wrist and ankle had recovered that he found himself missing the Iron Slayer nearly every moment they were apart. He was tempted to use his lacrima and simply call Gajeel, but he was sharing a room with Laxus and didn't want to disturb the blond's rest.

Instead, Freed carefully got out of bed and moved to his bag, reaching into the main section and pushing his neatly folded clothes out of the way to retrieve the little black gift bag that Gajeel had given him.

" _Gajeel, what is this?"_

" _Just a present," he chuckled. "You open this up while yer gone. When ya miss me."_

" _I would rather open it now," Freed smirked._

" _Nope. When yer away. I'm gonna miss you though."_

By this point in their relationship, Freed was no stranger to getting random gifts from the Iron Slayer. He might not have looked like it, but Gajeel loved giving gifts to the one he loved. And he never failed to impress Freed with the thoughtfulness of his gifts. Whether they were bought or made, he loved each and every little thing he'd gotten from his boyfriend during their ten-month relationship.

Slowly, Freed walked to the balcony that led out of his and Laxus' shared room, closing the door behind him once he was outside. He took a seat on one of the wicker chairs the hotel provided, using the full moon to light the way as he carefully pulled open the bag. He reached past the red tissue paper, smiling when he came to a little wooden box. He was more than surprised by how heavy the box was as he pulled it out. The bag was set on the floor, and he bit his lips while lifting the lid, his eyes instantly tearing up and a giddy smile sitting on his lips when he looked at his gift.

It was obviously made from Gajeel's iron. A thin metal plate, about two fingers wide, was adorned with a beautifully detailed dragon. A bookmark. Its head, dotted with a small ruby eye, curled around the top while the body with intricate scales ran down the length of the plate, its tail spiralling through the bottom. In its claws, the dragon held a book open, looking as though it was ready to devour all the knowledge held within.

Trembling fingers lifted the bookmark, and Freed's other hand came up to lightly trace the dragon. At the different texture on the back, he turned it over and barely stifled a sob at the sight of an inscription written in Gajeel's hand. His strong, powerful boyfriend had finally learned how to write legibly, and was coming into his own preferred style of writing. Upon closer inspection, Freed could still see the spots where he'd hesitated, but he loved those imperfections even more. Each and every letter made him fall in love with Gajeel all over again. Every flowing line of script - because, once Gajeel had learned cursive, he'd decided that was how he wanted to write - made his tears come just a little more forcefully.

Freed was more than ready to return to Magnolia, make his way to Gajeel's house, and tackle the Iron Slayer with a barrage of kisses for making something so perfect. And maybe, just maybe, he would tie Gajeel down and punish him for giving Freed the present when he wouldn't be able to thank the mage right away.  _'Yes, that sounds lovely…'_

Swiping the tears from his eyes, Freed decided against calling Gajeel on the lacrima to let him know how much he loved his gift. Instead, he was going to make the mage wonder whether he'd taken the time to open it. He put the box in the gift bag and carried everything inside, tucking it into his suitcase so he could dispose of it later. Silently, Freed made his way back to his bed, the bookmark tucked against his chest. Maybe this was Gajeel's sign that he was ready to stop hiding their relationship. They had been together for nearly a year, so it wasn't as though they would suddenly break up when they realized that it just wasn't working. But, he'd set a goal for himself. Gajeel had wanted to learn how to write, then they could tell their friends.

Based on the bookmark, he definitely knew how to write.

Freed read the inscription one last time, smiling as he let his eyes fall closed and slowly drifted off to sleep. The only things that filled his dreams were his raven-haired lover, and the words that had so carefully been inscribed into the metal.

_Gajeel Redfox & Freed Justine.  
I love you, nerd._

 


	3. It's About Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place immediately after Chapter 2 of Submissive Dragons, Part 1: Electric Stars.

 

Gajeel still wasn't used to the way it felt when he was teleported with his boyfriend's runes, but once they were in the confines of Freed's home, with the scent of pine and cherries filling his sinuses, the Iron Slayer felt like he was at home. At peace. Only Freed could do this to him, and had been the only one to make him feel so much at once. And Gajeel knew without a shadow of a doubt just what Freed was to him. But there was no way in hell he was going to be bringing it up right then. His lips were too busy to do much talking, for one. Besides, he still needed to explain just what mating was as far as Slayers were concerned. Considering the entire guild had just heard nearly everything that happened between Lucy and Laxus up in the Lightning Slayer's office, Freed really needed to learn what the hell just happened with his teammate.

"Gajeel," Freed moaned as he pushed the Iron Slayer down onto his bed and slowly crawled on top of him. His head lifted and he gave the panting mage beneath him an equally breathless smile. "Tell me when you're ready to play."

"I'm always ready for ya," Gajeel grinned.

"Do you need it?" Freed chuckled.

"Only from you."

The Rune mage found himself blushing slightly as Gajeel reached up and tucked green bangs behind his ear, revealing Freed's usually covered eye. "Is that so?"

"It is, ya sexy motherfucker," Gajeel whispered. "Lemme keep kissin' ya. Please?"

"Do you still need a minute?" Freed asked, his brow furrowing when he felt a small series of shivers running through his lover's body. "You weren't electrocuted too much, were you?"

"Hell no," Gajeel sighed. "I'm good. More than good once I get you all over me again."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Positive…?"

"Freed," Gajeel whined. "Stop being my damn Momma and get down here." He frowned when he reached up to pull his lover's head down, to force their lips to meet once again, and his hands were instantly smacked away. "C'mon. You know I love how ya kiss me."

"I am no one's  _mother_ , Gajeel," Freed scowled.

The Iron Slayer rolled his eyes in frustration, then found them widening in surprise as lines of glowing purple writing slithered across the bed and wrapped tightly around his wrists and ankles. "F-Freed, what the fuck?"

"You know not to say that," Freed answered. Gajeel knew very well just how insecure his boyfriend was over a few choice things. Particularly the fact that he'd been teased relentlessly when he was younger for being too effeminate. Add onto that the fact that Freed had never really had a mother in the first place… It was still a sore spot for him, even after all this time.

"About the Momma thing?" Gajeel whimpered, flinching when more lines of runes wriggled across his body and started pulling at the ties and closures on his clothing. It wasn't the first time Freed had used his runes while they were in the bedroom - hell, the guy was nearly always using his magic in one way or another to make things more interesting - but Gajeel still felt like he was on the verge of getting seriously molested by the slithering lines of text.

"Yes," Freed said while sitting up on the Iron Slayer's hips once Gajeel was naked.

Gajeel sighed at the saddened look in Freed's eyes. He hated it when the Rune mage looked like this, and was more than thankful that it hardly ever happened. "Freed, I didn't-"

"You did, though," Freed said softly.

"Because you were acting like a worried mother," Gajeel insisted. "I wasn't-"

"I wouldn't know," Freed scowled. "You know I worry, Gajeel. I  _always_  worry that I'm hurting you too much."

"Yer smart," Gajeel shrugged. "And I trust ya."

"Yes, and you trust me because I worry about you," Freed sniffed. "Because I am more than careful about how we do things. If it wasn't for my runes, I can't tell you how many things could have gone wrong before."

"Well, we've got safety net after fuckin' safety net," Gajeel nodded. "But I still say you worry too much."

"I can't help it."

"You sure as hell can," the Iron Slayer shot back with a quirked brow. "How the hell did we go from my ass being hard as a rock to this? I'm so soft, it's not even funny."

Freed let out a slow breath while looking down to find that Gajeel was, in fact, flaccid. It wasn't always necessary for him to be hard to begin with their 'playtime' as the two liked to call it, but Freed preferred seeing just how ready Gajeel was for him at any given moment. If it wouldn't pose serious health risks, the Rune mage would keep Gajeel erect every second of the day.

"Baby…"

Freed jolted at the odd, soft-spoken word from his lover. His head shot up and his eyes found burning crimson looking back up at him. "Gajeel…?"

"I can't really move right now," Gajeel smirked, wriggling his arms only slightly in the runes that held him down. "But we're talking this shit out later on, okay?"

"That isn't necessary, Gajeel."

"It is," the Slayer nodded. "But we can't talk until you punish me, right?"

"P-Punish you?"

"Sure," Gajeel laughed. "I upset you, and I do know not to say shit like that."

"It isn't a rule," Freed whispered. "I cannot punish you for something that we didn't agree on beforehand."

"True, but I'm saying that… If you'd wanna…" Gajeel's smirk widened into a feral grin. "You can punish me extra for it. Give it to me good, baby."

"I…" Freed sighed and lowered his gaze to the bedspread. "It wouldn't be right to punish you for that. I am only allowed to punish you for broken rules that we have established before. Creating a rule after the fact like this…"

Gajeel's eyes narrowed and he shifted his hips to throw Freed off balance. "Put down the goddamn textbook for once," he growled. "I'm makin' this simple."

"What we do is anything  _but_  simple, Gajeel."

"Because yer makin' it that way," the Iron Slayer countered. "Look, I'm glad you read all those damn books about BDSM, because there was some shit I didn't even know. They helped, but Freed…"

Gajeel's eyes softened when he was met with uncertain turquoise eyes framed with silken jade hair.

"Part of the fun in this shit," he continued, "Is takin' it by the bootstraps and just fuckin' winging it."

"I don't 'wing' anything…"

And Gajeel knew that better than anyone. Freed was a thinker, a planner. His magic demanded it, and the Rune mage had built his whole damn existence on that particular fact. But, there was one huge factor that Freed just wasn't seeing. The night they'd gotten together for the first time, out in the middle of the woods, hadn't been planned. Freed had gone with his gut and kissed Gajeel, and it had led to more. The two had been together for nearly a year, maybe a little longer. Gajeel wasn't entirely sure on that, but Freed knew. The point was that everything had started between them on an impulse, not with careful planning and tons of thought. And the two were happier than ever before because of it. Gajeel had learned to read and write, and he knew that it never would have happened if Freed hadn't been in his life.

"Mmkay, I'll put it to ya this way. If you were on a job, and some shit went down and yer plan went out the fuckin' window… What would ya do?"

"I would adjust accordingly," Freed answered without hesitation.

"How?"

"By analyzing the new situation and deciding the best and most effective course of action that I could use with my runes."

"And if you didn't have time to sit and stew on it?" Gajeel insisted. "Life or death, Freed. Bickslow and Laxus are hangin' off a damn cliff, and they're dead meat unless you react  _right now_."

"Bickslow could-"

"He's unconscious."

"Evergreen-"

"She's not there."

"Well, then Laxus would-"

"He's knocked the fuck out, too. Bleeding out and dying." Gajeel frowned when Freed bit his lip in thought. "Tick tock, Freed."

"I-I would write runes for my wings and help them."

"Still have enemies to fight."

"Then I would handle them first," the Rune mage answered. "Pain runes. Enough to hold them back, so I could help my team."

"How hard was that?" Gajeel finally whispered. "Split-second decision when shit changed on ya."

Freed frowned down at the small smile on Gajeel's lips. "I do not understand."

"I'm telling you to go with the damn flow," Gajeel said softly. "So the fuck what if we didn't have a rule about this shit before? We'll make one, and I'll take the damn punishment for it as though it was already a rule."

"But…"

Gajeel sighed and bucked his hips again, knocking Freed forward so the Rune mage was hovering over him. Sometimes he really hated when he was tied down. "Yer gonna make me do this, ain't ya?"

"Do what?" Freed whispered.

With a wicked grin, Gajeel lifted his head until their noses were touching. "Flagellate."

Freed blinked in surprise, a deeper frown pulling at his lips.

"To whip. Scourge. Flog. Lash."

"Gajeel?"

"Lustrate. To purify by a propitiatory offering or other ceremonial method."

"Gajeel," Freed breathed. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"Catharsis."

Freed's breath caught in his throat as the soft growl of his lover raced the length of his spine. Even bound and unable to touch him, Gajeel still made it feel as though he was everywhere. There was never a single place left unexplored with just the Iron Slayer's voice.

"The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions."

Freed's quiet moan filled the air between them as Gajeel's teeth gently nipped at his lips. "H-Have you been…"

"Nirvana." Gajeel pressed a tender kiss to Freed's parted lips. "A place or state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world." The Iron Slayer knew just what could get Freed going again, but this was the first time he'd really tried it. A joke from one of their long nights together, that Freed would probably get turned on if Gajeel read the dictionary to him.

Based on how those thin fingers started shakily traversing his sides, Gajeel had been right.

"Ad libitum," Gajeel whispered. "At one's pleasure." Feeling the full-body shudder that ran through his lover was the most arousing sensation, followed in an instant with thin lips silencing him and a tongue surging past his teeth. Freed's kisses were deep, passionate, and making the room's temperature rise as far as Gajeel was concerned.

The feeling of those thin hips frotting so suggestively had him hardening once again.

"You read the dictionary," Freed smirked while trailing searing kisses down Gajeel's throat.

"Memorized a bit," he nodded, gasping as perfectly manicured nails raked down his side. "Sh-Shit, Freed…"

"I was not joking that night," Freed smirked. "It is even more arousing, knowing that you read it on your own time…"

"Because yer sexy ass taught me how," Gajeel laughed, breathless as he watched Freed stand from the bed. The weight of those deep turquoise eyes was nearly stifling, but he loved just how it felt to see his lover glaring down at him. Those same eyes that always looked at him with pride were darker, narrowed in lust while taking in every bare inch of his flesh.

"I believe," Freed whispered, "Tonight will be a little different."

"Different, how?"

"Do you trust me?"

Gajeel nodded instantly. "You know I do." He gasped as the runes that bound him to the bed tightened while others wrapped around his waist. More around his thighs. His biceps. Hair. Throat. They all tightened to the point of being nearly uncomfortable, with the exception of the one around his throat that was still allowing him to breathe easily, then lifted the Iron Slayer from the bed.

Freed watched as Gajeel was held up in the air just before him, his toes only inches above the floor and his arms bound to the back of his head. A slow smile stretched across his lips at the wide-eyed stare he was getting from his lover. He stood perfectly still for several painfully long moments, then reached forward to swipe his fingers around the base of Gajeel's shaft. He didn't attempt to hide the pleasure he took from seeing the bright purple runes tightening around the rigid flesh, slowly constricting so his lover wouldn't be able to bring himself to completion.

"Sh-Shit," Gajeel rasped. "Freed what are we doin' tonight?" He groaned fitfully when a flash of electricity shocked him wherever the runes were placed. "F-Freed…  _Unggh_ …"

"Dark Écriture: Pain," Freed whispered, biting his lip while slowly walking around Gajeel's strung up form. "I can change the type of pain I wish to inflict, and the intensity of it. Because I want you to feel pleasure from this, it is set lower than normal."

"Make it hurt more," Gajeel growled. "C'mon, Fr -  _Anghhh_!"

"Do not interrupt me," Freed demanded. "You know better, Gajeel."

The Iron Slayer nodded, his chest heaving and his body shuddering in the wake of the subsiding pain.

"As I was saying, I want you to feel pleasure," Freed continued. He paused while standing behind Gajeel, lifting his hands to gently caress his lover's spine, down the length of his sculpted back. He paused once his fingers were splayed across the tightened muscles of Gajeel's ass, lightly massaging the flesh until he was relaxed. "I won't touch you here," he whispered tenderly. "Not unless you want me to."

"I-I know," Gajeel said. "Just… Y'know…"

"It makes you uncomfortable," Freed nodded. "I know." He smiled while winding his arms around Gajeel's chest, pressing himself flush against his lover as another violent shock of pain rushed through the runes at his mental command.

Gajeel growled loudly, but he didn't cry out in pain.

"With my runes targeting your nerves like this, I can shock you as though it was with lightning," Freed smiled. "And I can still touch you."

"I'm guessin' it's safer, too?"

"It is," the Rune mage nodded. "I won't explain why right now, but this is physically safer than filling you with electricity." The truth of the matter was that Gajeel's pain was only perceived. Freed's runes were targeting his nerves and stimulating them, but it was the Iron Slayer's mind that created the pain. The nerves weren't being overstimulated, and there wouldn't be any physical damage to his lover's body after the fact.

Gajeel flinched when Freed's fingers rippled over his stomach to his hips, then circled around to his ass again. The smaller mage knew it was something he didn't want, and he knew that Freed would never just take advantage of his vulnerability while being tied up, but it still made him want to pull away. Small shocks started pulsing at random points on Gajeel's body at varying intervals, with different intensity levels each time. Within moments, the Iron Slayer was moaning his lover's name and begging for some relief from the pain. More accurately, from the pleasure that pain caused. All the while Freed massaged the rounded globes of his cheeks, staying away from the Iron Slayer's virginal entrance. He knew that was one rule that would never be broken, and eventually Gajeel felt himself being lowered to kneel on the ground.

"How do you feel?" Freed asked while moving to the chest at the end of his bed.

"Horny," Gajeel groaned, a harsh grunt passing through his lips when the runes flared everywhere at the same time. "F-Fine, Master," he quickly amended.

Freed opened the lid and gazed down at the black fabric that covered the contents, then pulled it away and set it off to the side. Everything had been set up before he'd left his home that morning. The new paddles he wanted to use, a fencing foil. The blindfold he'd gotten specifically for Gajeel that had extra padding over the eyebrows and nose so it didn't chafe the skin around his piercings. Freed smiled while bypassing the blindfold in favor of one of the newer devices he'd seen in the store and couldn't stop himself from buying. He made his way back over to the Slayer and held up the modified ratchet gag, his eyes flaring with excitement at the choking sound Gajeel made.

"Open your mouth, Gajeel," Freed whispered.

"Wh-What the fuck is that?"

The Rune mage held up the metal and pursed his lips in thought. There was only one problem with the gag he'd bought, and that was that it was made of metal. His lover ate metal on a regular basis, so if Gajeel got too excited he would easily be able to bite through it. Two sections of metal were connected in the center with ratchets on either side that would open the gag further. It was medical grade stainless steel but Gajeel could bite through that easily. "Just a gag, Gajeel. But I will need your help, now that I think about it."

"M-My help? What the fuck…" Gajeel blinked in surprise as his hands were brought forward and the metal piece was placed in his palms.

"Coat that in your iron," Freed said. "I don't want you eating it."

"Goddamnit," Gajeel growled. He'd been hoping Freed wouldn't really think of that. As he channeled his magic, molding his iron around the part that he could tell was going to be in his mouth, and just a little around his lips as well, Gajeel looked back up to his lover. "What do you have in mind?"

"Silence from you," Freed smirked.

"Asshole…" He couldn't stop himself from dropping the gag as the runes flared again, forcing his muscles to tighten in an instant and his body to quiver as white-hot pain lashed through him.

Freed sighed while picking up the gag, then roughly grabbed Gajeel's chin and forced it down to put the metal in his mouth. "You're being a very bad dragon tonight," he scowled, twisting the ratchets on either side until it was set as far apart as possible and Gajeel's mouth was held open to its limit. He was careful as he pulled on the metal, making sure that it actually stayed in place. When it didn't budge, he nodded his approval.

"Nn… Nnas… ker…"

The Rune mage took a step back while he adjusted the runes that held Gajeel in place, forcing the Iron Slayer to look straight ahead. He took his time while removing his jacket, boots, and cravat, then slowed even further when he saw Gajeel struggling to move his head. Gleaming red eyes were watching his fingers with rapt attention, and when Freed saw his lover's tongue darting out to catch the small bit of drool that had dribbled onto his lip, Freed's smile widened.

Gajeel whined when the Rune mage disappeared from his line of sight, but it was short-lived. Moments later, his pierced brow was pushing together as Freed knelt in front of him. The last thing Gajeel had anticipated was the bastard putting a medical clamp on his tongue. Or for him to let the thing go so he couldn't keep his tongue, or his goddamn spit for that matter, in his mouth. Once again, the green-haired mage was standing in front of him, and all Gajeel could do was watch as his white shirt was slowly unbuttoned and removed. All that pale flesh over his lean little body had the Iron Slayer drooling. Not just metaphorically. No, he was quite literally feeling his own fucking spit dripping down onto his chin. And it only got worse when Freed's slender fingers lowered to his pants.

"You look as though you would like something from me, Gajeel," Freed said softly.

He couldn't nod, but damn did he want to. Instead, Gajeel simply kept staring at the very obvious bulge in his lover's pants.

"I think I should string you up like this more often."

Gajeel's brows furrowed in confusion at the breathlessness of his lover's voice. When their eyes locked, he found Freed's cheeks flushed with arousal and his lower lip being harshly abused by his teeth. In all their time together, Gajeel had never seen his boyfriend so fucking turned on. He'd seen Freed writhing in ecstasy, dominant and fully in control, and everything in between. But never like this. When the Iron Slayer thought about what he must look like, it was embarrassing as hell.  _'I'm completely helpless like this,'_  he thought. He couldn't move a muscle, bound naked and kneeling on the floor. Drool was trailing down his jaw and onto his throat. Without even realizing it, Gajeel had let himself be put into this position. And all at once, he didn't want it. A large part of him liked that Freed had tied him up, and that he was so aroused by it, but he felt too open. Too vulnerable. Freed could do anything he wanted like this, and even though Gajeel trusted the Rune mage more than he'd trusted anyone in his life, it was freaking him out just a little.

Freed unfastened his pants and let them drop to the floor, kicking them off to one side while removing his boxers. He'd been planning on leaving most of his clothes on, but the Rune mage needed to feel Gajeel's skin brushing against his own.

Gajeel started struggling as Freed came closer, an aroused groan escaping him as his lover's cock sat right in his line of sight. The darkened scent of Freed's heightened arousal filled his nostrils, and the runes lit up while sending another shock through him as he tried to pull free.

"Please your Master," Freed rasped. One hand sunk into Gajeel's wild raven locks while the other wrapped around his member to guide it toward his open mouth. He brushed the tip over Gajeel's tongue, circling the dual barbells that speared through it.

A low growl of warning rumbled in Gajeel's chest and his crimson eyes glared in rebellion up at Freed. He wanted to submit to the mage, but not like this. It was humiliating. Too humiliating. His jaw tightened around the gag, trying to bite through the metal. Then he remembered that Freed had thought about this exact thing happening. His iron coated the metal, making it too hard for him to break.  _'I don't want it… Not like this… It's too much!'_

Freed groaned while carefully thrusting into Gajeel's mouth. "That's my good dragon," he whispered, reaching down to remove the clamp from his lover's tongue. "Taste me, Gajeel."

Gajeel's eyes watered when he felt Freed pushing further into his mouth, slowly easing himself into his throat. It was no secret to the Rune mage that Gajeel didn't have a gag reflex. That shit had disappeared a long time ago, when he'd started eating metal to fuel his magic. It was why his voice sounded the way it did, and why he could handle large chunks of metal sliding down his throat in the first place. He'd fucked up when he was younger and nearly tore his throat apart from the inside out, but that had resulted in his ability to gag on fucking anything just disappearing. It's what he got for trying to eat nails and choking, he supposed.

Freed withdrew and rubbed his cock over Gajeel's lips, then to his chin to catch the excess saliva that had dripped down. " _Pain_ ," he hissed, activating the runes at a higher intensity and watching as his lover cried out in surprise.

Gajeel didn't have any time to react to Freed pushing back into his mouth harder than before, still lost in the shocks that were darting over his nerves with more intensity than he'd felt at the guild with Laxus' lightning.

"You're mine tonight," Freed groaned, his hips rolling while he pulled the Iron Slayer's head closer. The runes around his lover's body stopped wracking him with jolts of pain, and he gave the larger mage a moment to pull in a deep breath. Once he had, Freed slammed back in and stilled once Gajeel's nose was nestled in the short green hairs above his cock.

"Look at me."

Gajeel's eyes teared up as he struggled to break free, but he still lifted his gaze to see Freed glaring down at him.

"This is only the beginning of your punishment," Freed said, his voice low and domineering. "You asked for this, Gajeel. Do you understand?"

The Iron Slayer tried to nod, but he couldn't move as the runes flared again. Freed's hips rocked, pushing just a little deeper and ripping a deeply aroused groan from the Rune mage.  _'Stop… Stop this, Freed…'_

"If you humiliate your Master," Freed hissed, "You should be punished."

Gajeel gulped down air as soon as Freed withdrew, but it wasn't enough. Only a moment later, his mouth was filled again. Over and over again until he was fighting with all his strength to pull away from the punishment, and the runes binding him in place. And each time he tried to move, they would shock him, tightening around his limbs and torso. He knew that Freed could see he was trying to get out of the runes, but that didn't matter to Gajeel. This wasn't about pleasure for him. It was a punishment. And it was the same reason that he just couldn't bring himself to lie down and let even the Rune mage breach his body. He was too vulnerable like this, and it scared the hell out of him.

"Don't struggle, Little Dragon," Freed groaned. "Take your punishment." After several more rough thrusts, Freed withdrew and watched his lover gasp for air. His brow furrowed at how tense Gajeel seemed, how closed off.  _'Something's wrong…'_ He wasn't anywhere close to being ready to finish, because it just wasn't the same without Gajeel groaning around his member and teasing him to completion. Something just felt off about what he was doing, and Freed knew that meant he needed to stop. Every book on this sort of thing that he'd read had said the same thing, to take a minute if something felt wrong.

Gajeel openly whimpered when he saw his boyfriend kneel before him, but jolted in surprise as soft, tender kisses were pressed to his chest as Freed came closer.

"Let's take this off of you," Freed whispered. He pulled several tissues from the nightstand and gently wiped his lover's chest, throat, and chin free of saliva, then tossed them onto the floor. He reached up and slowly loosened the gag, then pulled it free of Gajeel's mouth and set it on the floor. "Are you okay, Gajeel?"

"Fine." The Iron Slayer was more surprised when his clipped answer and the lack of calling Freed 'Master' didn't have the runes lighting up and shocking him again. Slender fingers tenderly massaged his jaw, soothing the small ache that the gag had caused.

"Gajeel," Freed whispered.

"..." Gajeel could hardly look at his boyfriend right then, and instead kept his gaze on the floor.

"Do we need to stop?"

"... Is my  _punishment_  done?"

Freed jolted at the bitter tone in his lover's voice. Had he done something wrong while punishing Gajeel? Freed had thought it would be something worth experimenting with, the new gag and everything else, but maybe he'd been too rough. Too demanding. It was a strange experience, punishing the Iron Slayer the way he had been, and Freed had done what he could to ignore how it had felt being so forceful. But maybe he should have paid more attention in the first place to his own cues, and to Gajeel's, instead of brushing them off.

Gajeel sagged to the floor and leaned back against the bed as the runes disappeared. Even the ones that had been keeping him from climaxing were gone, but that wasn't his concern. He hadn't felt a damn thing from Freed during what they'd just done, aside from pain and coldness. And he hated that. Because what he and the Rune mage had wasn't just some bullshit on the side, or a one-night fling. This was the real fucking deal for the Iron Slayer, and the fact that he'd been made to feel like just some piece of meat… It hurt.

"Gajeel, talk to me," Freed whispered. "Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine…"

Freed shifted closer and brushed his fingers through Gajeel's hair, frowning in concern when the larger man shifted away from him. It wasn't by much, but that small twitch had Freed at a loss for what he should do. "You can speak freely, Gajeel," he said gently. "I want you to talk to me."

"Why should I?" the Iron Slayer muttered. "Yer just gonna-"

"Gajeel," Freed said insistently, his jaw snapping shut when a harsh glare was sent his way.

"Yer just gonna hurt me again," Gajeel spat. "I don't like that shit, Freed."

"I was just punishing you," Freed said. "Isn't that what you told me to do?"

"I never said to treat me like  _that…_  You didn't even ask me if that thing was alright to use."

Freed's mouth opened and closed several times before he looked down at the gag. "I…" It was true though. He hadn't asked Gajeel if it was okay that he used it. Freed had just assumed it would be fine. He'd seen the gag and had pictured Gajeel wearing it, and just the thought of his lover depending on him, trusting him to use it and make it pleasurable for both of them… Freed hadn't been able to help himself.

He'd jumped the gun and now he had to fix things, because now he was seeing that it hadn't been pleasurable for Gajeel in the slightest. And that wasn't what he wanted at all.

"I'm sorry, Gajeel," Freed whispered. "I didn't think… I…"

"Yer always thinkin'..."

"But, I was trying to do what you suggested," Freed winced. "Being spontaneous… Just… 'going with the flow'..."

Gajeel scowled and sat up a little more, glaring at the Rune mage. "So this is my fault?"

"No!"

"S'what you just said."

"No," Freed said, shaking his head quickly. "I just meant, I was trying to do what you told me, but… I-I guess I'm just… not good at that sort of thing."

"I couldn't even use my safe word," Gajeel whispered, lowering his gaze to the floor again. "Don't do that shit to me again."

"Never again," Freed nodded. The Rune mage let out a resigned sigh while looking down at the gag.  _'This was a mistake. I'm so stupid...'_  It had just been so exciting, thinking Gajeel would want to try this out with him. But Freed hadn't even thought to consult with the man before bringing this out.  _'So, so stupid!'_

Gajeel watched as Freed leaned over and grabbed the metal gag and used tissues, his lips turning down into a frown when his lover threw everything in the trash.

"We won't do that again," Freed whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Gajeel…"

Even though he could hear how upset Freed was in his voice, the green-haired mage was still sitting tall. Gajeel hadn't a clue how Freed could do that shit though, because he was sure as hell having a hard time staying sitting in the first place. He felt too raw inside, like someone had taken bleach to his soul with a power-washer.

"Did my runes hurt you, too?" Freed asked, his voice nearly too soft for his boyfriend's enhanced hearing to pick up.

"Not any more than they were supposed to, I guess," Gajeel shrugged. That part, he'd enjoyed. He liked having Freed's runes being used like that, even if it was weird every time they started. Eventually, over the course of a night, he would get used to the lettered bindings acting as rope. "I didn't mind those."

"Just the gag, then," Freed nodded.

"Freed," the Iron Slayer sighed, glancing at his boyfriend out of the corner of one eye. Even right then, Freed's back was straight. He was poised, showing his remorse with downcast eyes and a bowed head.

"Yes, Gajeel?"

"I wanna talk to you," Gajeel whispered. "It's important."

Freed's head shot up at the same time as his heart took residence in his throat. Surely Gajeel wouldn't be thinking about that worst case scenario that he instantly was, not after something like this. It was a mistake, sure, but Freed was human. He knew that he wasn't perfect. "G-Gajeel…?" The last thing he wanted was for the Slayer to leave him over this.  _'Was it that bad that he'll jump to that though? What will I do if he leaves me? Please… Please don't do this…'_

The Iron Slayer nibbled his lower lip for a moment, then reached out and laced his fingers with Freed's. "Do you know why I didn't like it?"

"I hurt you," Freed nodded. "I-I'm sorry."

"It wasn't physical pain, Freed."

"Then what…" His turquoise eyes widened even further at the gentle squeeze on his hand. He'd taken the mental aspect of the punishment too far.  _'Damn it!'_  After all of the things he'd read, the countless books and hours of research so he could be just the man Gajeel wanted and needed… He'd made such a huge mistake. How the Iron Slayer was even able to talk to him, Freed wasn't sure, but he'd done to Gajeel what had been done to him in the first place. He'd humiliated his boyfriend beyond what was acceptable, and hadn't even known it was an issue… Because he'd made it so Gajeel couldn't use his safe word. Any of them. "You mean," Freed breathed. "You would have said…"

" _Réfléchis_ ," Gajeel nodded.

He and Gajeel had agreed on different safe words depending on what exactly was wrong, whether it was too painful, something felt physically wrong, or…  _'It was mental. Something he couldn't handle. I-I hurt him worse than any flogger could.'_

"It was too much at once," Gajeel continued. "I can't handle feeling like that."

"L-Like what?"

"Like I was just a mouth for you to fuck."

Freed jolted in surprise as Gajeel looked at him with saddened, glistening eyes. "You have  _never_  been that to me, Gajeel."

"You weren't trying to make me feel good at all, though," Gajeel whispered. "You were just takin' it for yerself. I mean… I get that it was a punishment for what I said to you, and I asked to be punished. Hell, I pushed you to do it. I just…"

"No," Freed frowned. "This isn't your fault. I should have done something to show you that it wasn't out of anger… It was to correct a behavior, not just so I could…  _use_  you for my own pleasure."

"Isn't that what you were doin' though?"

"It wasn't nearly as enjoyable as you might think," Freed muttered. At the curious glance he received from the raven-haired mage, he sighed and shifted so he was leaning against the bed as well. "I'm not spontaneous, Gajeel. I cannot do things like what you asked of me. I  _have_  to have a plan. But, because this was for you, I pushed past all of that and tried… I tried to punish you, to be more forceful… I thought that was what you wanted."

"I want the way you do it," Gajeel frowned. "Freed, there's nothing wrong with how you punish me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It works. When was the last time I touched you before you said I could?"

"Last week," Freed answered, fighting to hide his smirk.

"Okay, bad example," Gajeel chuckled. "It's just too hard to keep my hands off of you."

"I'm starting to think you like the way I punish you."

"I do."

"Then doesn't that defeat the purpose of the punishment entirely?" Freed mused. "You aren't  _supposed_  to like what I do. It's supposed to curb bad behavior, and…"

Gajeel sighed and wound an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders, nestling his nose in the soft green hairs right at the scalp. "I mean, the way you do it is what works for me," he whispered. "I stopped eating your forks, didn't I?"

"After I took away your table privileges and made you eat out of a dog bowl."

"Fuckin' handcuffed," Gajeel added with a reminiscent smile. But his pants had been on that time, so Gajeel wasn't more exposed. He wasn't crawling around naked, because he'd told Freed that was a little too far for him. "And you beat my ass black and fuckin' blue when I made a mess on the floor, then I had to clean it up with my mouth." Gajeel's pants had only been pulled down enough for Freed to paddle him, then they were lifted right back up. It's what had made the Iron Slayer feel like the Rune mage still cared about his limits.

"I really am sorry for leaving bruises on you that day," Freed winced. That had been yet another mistake of his, but he already knew what Gajeel was going to say.

"I was being a dick," the Iron Slayer shrugged. "But the point is, you  _always_  make sure I know how you feel about me. That you don't like punishing me, but yer doin' it for my own good…"

"And I didn't do that at all this time?" Freed whispered.

"Ya didn't."

"Damn… Gajeel, I'm so sorry." The Iron Slayer took a slow breath as Freed curled into his chest, wrapping his arms more securely around the smaller mage. "You won't leave me, will you?" Freed asked, his voice soft and timid. "I didn't mean to…"

"Why the fuck would I leave?"

"I hurt you."

"Look at me, nerd," Gajeel huffed. He rolled his eyes when the Rune mage simply curled into him a little more. "I don't hate ya, and I'm not mad. Just talk shit out with me beforehand, okay?"

"I'm never buying something without you again…"

"I like bein' surprised," Gajeel smirked. "But ask me if it's okay to use  _before_  you put it on me. Don't just make me wear it unless I've said you get free reign for the night."

"I can do that…"

"'Course ya can. You did it before tonight. You just kinda… skipped a step, I guess."

Freed sighed while the two sat in silence, and after several long minutes, he whispered, "Do I make this less fun for you?"

Gajeel frowned down at the jade-haired mage. "Whaddya mean?"

"You said it's more fun if we 'just wing it'... I never do that. I plan everything out, and…" He lifted his head and looked into Gajeel's crimson eyes. "I'm not doing this right at all, am I?"

"Freed, what the hell makes you think that?" Gajeel asked as he drew back slightly. "I just told you, I love how you-"

"But it's a chore, isn't it? Tying you up, making sure everything is perfect before we start… All these rules…"

"Do you not  _want_  to do this?"

"I-I'm not saying that," Freed whispered uncomfortably. He loved having control with Gajeel, and everything else they did. Freed especially loved being able to set up rules together and enforce them. But Gajeel wasn't like him as much as he'd thought in that respect. The Iron Slayer enjoyed doing things as they came, not planning. "I just… I want you to enjoy this, and… I just want to know that I'm making you happy."

"You are," Gajeel insisted. When Freed sighed and looked toward the trash can that was holding the gag, guilt and shame written across his fine features, Gajeel shook his head and pulled Freed into his arms while getting up from the floor.

"G-Gajeel, what are you doing?!" He didn't say a word, and simply settled Freed on the bed, then laid down next to him. With their naked flesh pressed together and one hand sinking into Freed's hair, Gajeel brought their lips together in a slow, exploring kiss. "Gajeel," Freed sighed, trying to pull back from his lover's too-tempting lips.

"You make me happy," Gajeel whispered. "Happier than I've ever been in my life. This…" He paused and trailed his fingers down the line of Freed's jaw, and further still until their fingers were laced together. "Bein' with you… I never thought I'd have any of this."

"But Dragon Slayers… Well, you would have found someone eventually." Freed wasn't going to mention the fact that he'd already heard Natsu telling Lucy about the Slayers having mates, that one fated soul in the universe that balanced theirs perfectly. It most likely wasn't him, where Gajeel was concerned, and Freed didn't want to talk about that now. Because the day his lover found whoever that other person was, would be the day that Freed's heart shattered irrevocably.

"But I found you," Gajeel insisted. "And I don't want anyone else. You're the one for me, Freed."

The Rune mage looked away then, a brilliant flush rising to his cheeks.

"And I don't give a shit about anything that happens between now and the rest of fuckin' eternity," Gajeel whispered. "Yer all I need. You'll make mistakes, and we'll fight, and everything fuckin' else, but we'll work it out. We always do."

"Because you are stubborn," Freed whispered shakily.

"And because yer a smart ass who always has to be right," Gajeel chuckled. He gently lifted their joined hands and pressed a tender kiss to Freed's knuckles. "Look, my whole life's been about goin' with my gut. I don't plan a damn thing, and that's what's worked for a long ass time."

"It still could…"

"But  _you_  showed me that having a plan is necessary," Gajeel countered. "We can't just jump in and do whatever the hell we want. Especially since we both know how much I like it when you spank my ass as hard as possible."

"Far too much to be healthy," Freed answered with a small laugh.

"So, I want you to do things your way," Gajeel whispered. "If you need to plan it out so you feel comfortable, then fine. Plan away, okay?"

"But what about you?"

Gajeel grinned down at his boyfriend, brushing their noses together. "I liked it a whole lot more when I knew what was gonna happen… Can't have that if you don't know either, now can I?"

"So… You prefer…"

Gajeel nodded. "I pushed you to do something  _you_  weren't comfortable with, and that's my fault," he whispered. "I definitely prefer what we normally do to what happened tonight." After a moment, he smirked and added, "And I'm takin' that gag outta the damn trash."

"But you didn't like it," Freed frowned.

"I didn't like what was happening," Gajeel chuckled. "But I think, under the right circumstances…"

The Rune mage shivered at the excited gleam in Gajeel's eyes. "I-I see. Well then, by all means…"

"I'll do it later. Right now, there's something else I want."

"What might that be?" Freed gasped as his lips were claimed in a more insistent kiss than normal.

"I wanna please my Master," Gajeel growled. Freed gave the Iron Slayer a fast nod, but didn't move one way or another. He simply stayed where he was, allowing Gajeel to kiss him as he pleased. "Tell me what you want."

Freed grinned and laid his head on the pillow, then brought his hands down to the bed from where they had been slowly mapping out his lover's muscles. "Take me any way you wish, Gajeel."

The raven-haired mage drew back with a frown, confusion clearly written on his face. "What?"

"I'm giving you permission… to do with me as you wish."

"I-I don't get it…"

Freed's smile widened and he pulled Gajeel on top of himself, letting their legs tangle together as the long raven strands of his boyfriend's hair fell down around them. "Just love me, Gajeel," Freed whispered. "And never stop."

Twin moans filled the air as Gajeel smiled down at his boyfriend and brought their lips together again. Their hands and lips were everywhere, exploring one another with no thoughts of paddles or gags or anything else aside from the sweating, enticing flesh of the other. Having been given permission to do as he pleased, Gajeel was taking full advantage of the fact that he could touch Freed anywhere. And when the time came where he would have normally slipped between his lover's legs, or rolled the Rune mage onto his stomach, Gajeel found himself simply kissing the man of his dreams while grinding shamelessly against him.

Freed's body strained beneath the Iron Slayer, his legs spreading in an invitation for the mage to seat himself deeply within him, but Gajeel made no move to do it. He gasped as Gajeel grabbed one of his hands and guided it down to where their shafts were pinned between them, but Freed instantly wrapped his fingers around both and started stroking just a little faster. Gajeel's lips left his, and Freed looked up into his lover's eyes with a breathless plea for more. Seconds later, large calloused fingers were closing around his hand, adding more pressure and quickening the pace. "Come on, baby," Gajeel growled softly, listening to his boyfriend's ragged moans and pulling in as much of his sweat-slicked scent as possible. "Cum with me."

"Y-Your piercings," Freed groaned. "Oh, Gajeel!"

"Feels good?" he rasped, a wicked grin on his lips when Freed nodded. Gajeel forced their hands to stop moving, rolling his hips faster into the tight ring the two had created and marvelling at the heat that poured from his lover's engorged arousal. "Oh, fuck… Freed, I… Mmm, I love y-you!"

Before he could respond, the Rune mage was swept away in a sea of fiery bliss as his climax raced the length of his arousal in time with Gajeel's. Full lips were covering his, sharp teeth nipping at them more harshly than usual as the Iron Slayer basked in his own release. The intimacy of the moment wasn't lost on either of them, and both mages could only feel a stronger connection growing between them. Neither mage cared all that much about the mess that was smeared between their bodies as they continued kissing, their movements slowing until Freed was simply wrapped in thick, muscular arms and tucked into Gajeel's chest.

"I love you," Gajeel panted against Freed's lips. "I love you... so much, baby."

Freed's arms wound around Gajeel's waist, his fingers clutching desperately to his boyfriend's back. "I love you too, Gajeel," he whispered. He didn't mind all that much that Gajeel was slowly crushing him into the bed. Not when it meant he could feel every bit of this man that had stolen his heart, so close to him. When Gajeel got ready to roll off to one side, Freed only held on tighter.

"Freed?" Gajeel frowned down at the smaller mage, instantly taking in the healthy flush to his cheeks and the gentle, timid smile sitting on his thin lips.

"Don't let go," Freed said. He buried his head in the crook of Gajeel's neck, inhaling his boyfriend's masculine scent as Gajeel settled back on top of him. "Never let me go, Gajeel… Please…"

The Iron Slayer smiled tenderly and nuzzled Freed's sweaty, matted hair. "Not in this fuckin' lifetime," he whispered.  _'I'll never let him go… He's the one. My mate…'_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to go in a very different direction, but one idea led to another, and here we are. Huge props for LittlePrincessNana for helping to reassure me that this was realistic for their relationship. Because, as she put it,
> 
> "It isn't always about the power play. BDSM couples have normal sex lives where they make love and none of the pain or whatever is included."
> 
> So, let's all keep that kind of thing in mind in regards to the BDSM lifestyle!


	4. Never Let Go

It had been a little over a week since Lucy and Laxus mated in the guild, and Freed was finding that the envy he'd once had for the Celestial mage was nothing more than a distant memory. He had his own Slayer, and was more than happy with Gajeel in his life. And even though he loved being around the guild with the team and watching Mira losing her mind for the past seven days over the news that Lucy was pregnant, as denoted by the golden scales resting below her navel, Freed was sure that Gajeel had the right idea in taking a job.

Things had been more hectic than usual, simply because of the news. Lucy and Laxus hadn't been hassled much about the power outage their little escapade had caused for half of Magnolia, only because the blonde was pregnant. And mated. Makarov was far too happy about that to get on their case. Freed looked over to the doors of the guild longingly while thinking about his own Slayer. They were going to come out casually - by way of letting Mira know about their relationship so she could spread the word - as soon as Gajeel was back. And from what Freed had been told before the Iron Slayer left a few days ago, he and Pantherlily would be back that day.

Sometimes Freed still couldn't believe he'd gotten so lucky in finding a man like Gajeel. And even with the blunder he'd made that night, trying to be spontaneous and taking things too quickly and too far, they were still going strong. In some ways, he felt like things were better than before, like they had a better understanding of one another now.

"Freed, you look like you're thinking about something," Laxus said, giving the green-haired mage a sidelong glance.

"Just waiting," he sighed.

Laxus grunted in understanding, looking over to where his mate was sitting with her team. Just the day before, he'd pulled Freed off to the side and asked if what he and Lucy had seen in the locker room was a serious thing. Based on the bashful smile on Freed's face that day, Laxus knew it was the real deal. "Lucy says she always watches the doors when I'm gone."

"I can't help it," Freed nodded, looking back down to the table. "I worry…"

"I'm not judging, man," Laxus shrugged.

"We're telling everyone when he comes back," Freed said after several minutes in silence. Thankfully, Bickslow and Evergreen weren't at the table. The Seith mage was sitting at the bar, chatting with Mira, and Evergreen was on a job with Elfman. It meant that he could speak a little more candidly about his relationship with Gajeel. Granted, Freed didn't want to keep it a secret from his other two teammates, but he and Gajeel had an agreement. Everyone would find out when they were together, and ready to let them know. That way, it wasn't just one person dealing with all the attention.

"That's good," Laxus nodded. "Any reason you didn't before?"

"A few," Freed sighed. "I can't talk about that, though."

"You're not embarrassed, are you?"

Freed smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. But we wanted to keep it quiet until we knew whether it would work out. And then… Well, all I will say on the matter is that he set a goal for himself, and we agreed to wait until he reached it."

Laxus' stormy eyes cut over to the guild doors at the approaching sound of beating wings, and a concerned frown turned down his lips. "Freed?"

"Yes?"

"You might wanna-"

The doors to the guild burst open, and Pantherlily in his battle form stumbled inside. With a very bloody, unconscious Gajeel on his back.

"Wendy!" Pantherlily shouted, limping further into the guild as his wings deactivated completely. "Where's Wendy?!"

Freed's breath stuttered and his limbs froze in place as the little blue-haired Slayer rushed forward. He didn't see her though, his gaze resting on the battered body of his boyfriend. "G-Gajeel…"

His long black hair was matted and covering a good portion of his face, but the small bit that was visible was swollen and raw with dozens of small scrapes. The fingerless glove on one hand was missing, baring the torn flesh on the back of his hand and the bones of his knuckles. The Exceed's form winked out, leaving him lying in a sweating, shivering heap under Gajeel's body. Laxus jumped to his feet, dragging Freed with him as he rushed over to help. It wasn't even a conscious thought to take the Rune mage along. He'd simply followed his instincts. Thankfully, none of the other guild members got in his way.

"Freed, take Pantherlily," Laxus ordered, bending down to lift Gajeel onto his own back. He wasn't worried about blood getting on his coat, not if it meant helping his guildmate. "Wendy, get up to the infirmary, and get ready. We'll meet you up there."

The little blunette nodded and ran off toward the stairs, Carla hot on her trail, while Freed and Laxus worked to get Gajeel and Pantherlily there at a slightly slower pace.

"What happened?" Freed whispered to the panting Exceed.

"He was… pushed off the train," Pantherlily whispered. "Some kids saw him throwing up off the back… And they… I tried to catch him… F-Flew all the way when I… Freed, I-I'm sorry..."

The group came to the infirmary with Laxus rushing Gajeel inside and laying him down on the bed that Wendy was standing next to. Once the Iron Slayer was situated, he found his stomach rolling at the sight of Gajeel's body. The skin in several areas was shredded, his clothing was torn and looked as though it had been burnt off entirely in some spots. The bones of his forearm and one femur were broken and protruding from his flesh. When Gajeel's hair was pushed away from his face, they could see that the piercings in one of his eyebrows had been ripped out and his eye was swollen shut. A long gash reached across the Iron Slayer's cheek from the corner of his mouth to his ear. Freed set Pantherlily on another bed, quickly getting the Exceed a glass of water. He made his way over to Gajeel's side, barely biting back a sob of anguish while looking down at his battered lover.

"He's losing a lot of blood," Wendy said while pouring more magic into Gajeel's body. "Laxus, I-I need Porlyusica. This is too much for me to do alone."

"You got it," the Lightning Slayer nodded. "I'll go get her and be back in a flash."

"I-I will help, Wendy," Freed sniffled as Laxus teleported out of the room. "Tell me what to do."

The little healer nodded to a stack of towels at Freed's side. "Apply pressure, Freed. And don't stop."

He nodded and grabbed a towel, then turned to look at Gajeel again. "Wh-Where…" There were so many spots to choose from. So many places his boyfriend was hurt. So much blood.

"Chest," Wendy said, blowing the hair from her eyes. "It looks like a railroad spike is lodged in his lung. Just slow the bleeding down until Porlyusica gets here."

"Sh-Shouldn't you take it out?"

Wendy shook her head, moving her hands up to Gajeel's head to check for swelling around his brain. "It's plugging up the hole. He'll bleed out faster if we remove it without Porlyusica's help."

He bit back the bile rising in his throat and pressed the towel to his lover's chest. There was no reaction from Gajeel, and instead all Freed could see was the blood soaking into the towel. Then the fabric of his shirt sleeves.

"Change the towel," Carla said sternly, forcing Freed's hands back and placing a fresh one on the wound herself when he didn't move. "Honestly, if you're going to lose it over this, then you won't be any help at all."

"Carla," Wendy frowned, keeping her focus on the task at hand. "He's got internal bleeding…"

"Focus on the internal injuries," the white Exceed said as a gentle reminder. "Organs are first. Don't forget to check his head and…"

Freed dropped the towel to the floor and grabbed another to start cleaning Gajeel's other wounds. He had to do something, anything, to help the Iron Slayer. Freed already knew he wasn't cut out for this sort of thing, but he couldn't lose his composure. Because if he did, it could cost Gajeel his life.

' _Be strong,'_  he told himself while he and Wendy worked to reset the bones in Gajeel's arms and leg.  _'Be dominant. Lock everything up for now, Freed. He'll be fine…'_

He would never forget what it sounded like, hearing his boyfriend's joints creaking and the sickening pop of his bones being pushed back into their rightful places.

' _Gajeel will be alright…'_

There was just too much blood.

" _Don't leave me, Gajeel.'_

Carla flew up and pressed a mask to Gajeel's face, compressing the bag on the manual respirator in a carefully set tempo to help him breathe.

' _You promised not to leave me behind… You… Gajeel, please…'_

#

" _Sometimes, I think I remember my parents," Freed whispered, toying with his lover's hair and resting a cheek on his bare chest. "My mother, mostly…"_

" _I thought you said you were just a baby when they died."_

" _I was almost four," Freed said. "I can remember little bits of things from time to time. A smile or her hair. It was just like mine…"_

" _Freed, what's goin' on?" Gajeel asked with a concerned frown._

_The Rune mage turned to look up into his boyfriend's worried, crimson eyes. Early morning light streamed in through one window, highlighting his piercings and softening his usually strong features as dust motes sparkles between them. "I was dreaming about it last night. When it happened…"_

" _Freed…"_

_He sighed as a strong arm wrapped around him just a little more tightly than normal, then laid his head back down and watched the raven strands moving between his fingers. "Sometimes," he whispered, "I think that's why I have my hair so long. Hers was long. Down to her knees, I think. And I wonder… What she'd think of the life I have now."_

" _I dunno," Gajeel said softly. "Life's pretty good for me an' you. I think she'd like that."_

" _Gajeel, will you promise me something?"_

" _Anything."_

" _Don't leave me behind… If… If you're going to die, take me with you."_

_The Iron Slayer jolted in surprise. "What the hell?"_

" _I can't live without you," Freed whispered shakily. "Please, Gajeel… I know that our lives can be snuffed out in an instant, especially as mages. I love you too much to be without you."_

_Gajeel sighed and shifted in the bed so he was looking into Freed's eyes. He brought the calloused fingers of one hand to his boyfriend's cheek, brushing his bangs away from his eye. "As long as I can help it," he said, "I'll be with you, baby. I'll fight like hell to always come home to you."_

" _You swear?" Freed asked. He didn't care that he sounded just as young and timid as he felt, so lost and confused. He needed that bit of reassurance though._

" _I swear, Freed," Gajeel nodded. "I'm stayin' with ya, and there's nothin' you or anyone else can do to stop me."_

_Freed found a small smile on his lips when Gajeel kissed his nose. "Then, I will swear the same. No matter what happens, I-I'll always come home to you."_

" _Even if yer a bloody little bag o' bones," Gajeel smirked. "You come home and I'll fix you up."_

" _Will you be my Doctor Frankenstein?"_

" _Hell yeah," Gajeel chuckled. "I'll sew you up and get the Lightning Rod to shock yer ass awake."_

_Their lips met for a series of slow kisses, each more soothing than the last. Eventually, Freed's eyes opened and shined with happy tears as he looked at the man who had stolen his heart._

" _No more worries about it, baby," he breathed against Freed's lips. "I love you… Just keep rememberin' that, and you'll be set for life."_

_Freed laughed at the smug smile he was given, his mood lifting as the seconds ticked by into minutes, then hours. Simply lying in bed and talking with the love of his life._

#

"Freed," Laxus said softly, watching as the Rune mage started attempting to thread another needle for Wendy to continue with her stitches. His hands were shaking too badly for it to be effective. "Freed…"

The Rune mage shook out his hands, then his head shot up when Laxus covered them with his own. "L-Laxus, I have to-"

"Let Wendy and Porlyusica handle this," the Lightning Slayer whispered. "It's what they do."

"B-But, I…"

"Oh, just get out of here already," Porlyusica scowled. "You're in the way."

Laxus shot the pink-haired healer a heated glare while Freed shrunk in on himself. "He's just trying to help."

"Help this boy die, maybe."

Tears broke past Freed's lashes and he quickly swiped them away. He didn't notice that he'd smeared his lover's blood across his cheeks. "I-I'm sorry… I was j-just…"

Laxus sighed as he watched Freed rush out of the room, then turned back to the pink-haired healer. "Y'know, you could be less of a fucking monster sometimes," he spat.

"I am simply being realistic," she said while reaching into the wound in Gajeel's abdomen. "He was in the way. Much like  _you_ , now."

"Freed was just trying to be helpful, Porlyusica," Laxus growled. "His boyfriend looks like he's gonna kick the damn bucket any second."

Wendy's brow furrowed in confusion, but she kept her focus on the task at hand of healing the Iron Slayer's internal injuries while Porlyusica removed a six-inch railroad spike that had bent while piercing his lung.

"Well, if you keep bothering me, that will happen. And neither you or that smelly human out there will have anyone to blame but yourselves. Now let me work!"

Laxus' hands clenched into fists at his sides, his nostrils flaring. But he knew she was right. The woman needed to stay focused on treating Gajeel, not dealing with all of their shit. So, even though he hated it, Laxus turned and started walking out of the room. Just before he reached the door, he paused. "All I'm saying is… If it was me in that bed, you would have been telling Lucy the same thing. So… Just don't let Freed's  _mate_  die, okay?"

Wendy's eyes widened and her magic sputtered out as she lost focus. The door slammed a moment later, and she gave Porlyusica a wide-eyed stare. "Gajeel is…"

"Not the time," Porlyusica snapped softly. "Focus on healing him, child."

Pantherlily watched in silence as the two worked. He knew that his own injuries were minor in comparison. Most likely, he had a bruised bone or something was sprained. That could wait. After having a little water and accepting a towel from Carla to dry his sweaty fur, he felt marginally better. A little dizzy, but that was nothing. But it was the sight of his partner lying in that bed, being bandaged and given painkillers and saline through an IV that made it just a little harder to breathe. And if it was difficult for him to see Gajeel like this, he couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Freed. Watching Gajeel bleed out and trying to help keep the Slayer alive.

By the time the two were finished, Wendy was exhausted and being led to a bed by Carla to rest. Porlyusica came to stand before the little black Exceed, and he watched her carefully prodding his legs. She didn't say a word while tending to his leg, wrapping a small bandage around his ankle. It wasn't until she was ready to leave that the older woman spoke.

"Have Carla go and get that little Christmas tree," she whispered. "His mate is going to make it."

Pantherlily sat up slightly with a frown. "Did you send Freed out for his own good? Or because you really would have lost Gajeel with him being in the way?"

"There's a reason doctors don't operate on loved ones," Porlyusica said. "It's an ethical dilemma, and they'll make mistakes."

"Freed's not a doctor."

"Even less reason for him to be in here, mucking everything up." The older woman's crimson eyes narrowed momentarily before she sighed and shook her head. "I already had two patients to deal with. There was no point in adding a third to the roster just because he's stubborn."

"So, it was to help him," Pantherlily mused.

"Believe what you wish."

He watched as the woman started walking off, then said, "What about you? You were a member of Fairy Tail before, right? How can you operate on guild mates?"

"I said loved ones," Porlyusica shot back. "You brats are just a pain in my ass."

As the door closed behind her, Pantherlily could swear he saw the barest hint of a smile on the woman's wrinkled face. Maybe he was seeing things though.

His gaze shifted when Carla came to sit beside him on the bed. "Carla…"

"I'll go and get Freed," she nodded.

"Be nice to him," Pantherlily whispered. "He's… Gajeel is everything to him."

"It would have been nice to know that before," she muttered.

"That was their decision," the black Exceed answered. "And you'll keep it to yourself until they decide to let anyone else know."

"I'm not a blabbermouth like that little blue tomcat downstairs," she sniffed.

"No, but you've got one hell of a tongue on you," Pantherlily countered.

"I'll control myself," she snipped.

"Good," he nodded, looking over to his thoroughly bandaged partner. "Because I'm pretty sure Freed is on the verge of losing it."

* * *

The days came and went in a mindless blur for the Rune mage. After having left the infirmary the day Gajeel was brought in, he'd gone right to his home and packed up a bag of everything he would need. By the time he'd returned to the guild and was on his way up toward the infirmary, Carla was coming out to find him.

He'd never been more relieved in his life than when he'd heard that Gajeel was going to live.

Freed wasn't sure how many days it had been since Gajeel was brought back to the guild, but he hadn't left his boyfriend's side for anything but hygienic necessities. He slept in the chair next to Gajeel's bed, sat in that same spot and read to his unconscious boyfriend, talked to him. Sometimes he would sit in silence for hours, from the time the sun was sitting high in the sky until it was dark out, and simply watch Gajeel's slow breaths. His heart ached at seeing the amount of bandages all over Gajeel's body. And it terrified him to think of just how bad it looked under the gauze that was covering half of his face. He couldn't watch when Wendy came in to change Gajeel's bandages. It took too much time, letting him know just how close his boyfriend had come to dying.

Too close.

Laxus and Lucy had come to check on him, and on Gajeel, several times. They asked if he needed anything, how he was holding up, and all sorts of different things. But Freed didn't pay that much attention to them. All he wanted was to see that Gajeel was awake, then he could believe that this was all behind them. They weren't out of the woods until Gajeel was awake, as far as Freed was concerned. Until he could hear that gravelly voice, and see his beautiful, gleaming ruby eyes, Freed couldn't find a reason to move forward. He was stuck, simply waiting, and it hurt more and more as time ticked onward. Some moments, he would question whether or not everything he'd experienced with Gajeel had been nothing more than a dream.

But then he would look over and see the Iron Slayer just lying there, looking as though he was sleeping. If it wasn't for the bandages, Freed would be able to believe that. And once he saw Gajeel, Freed couldn't deny that everything he'd felt over the last year with the man had been real. It felt like a dream, so perfect and pure and good, but Freed knew that it was just because he was in love.

Things had never seemed so bright before Gajeel came into his life.

The Rune mage looked up from the cover of his book after reading the final lines and closing it, and his eyes were instantly drawn to his boyfriend. He could never look away for long, always tempted to keep an eye on the mage just to make sure he hadn't disappeared. And as Freed looked at him, all he could feel was a sudden weight crushing his chest from the inside. He'd spent days trying to remind himself that this wasn't his fault, that it was just because of some moronic children that Gajeel was in this position. He wasn't responsible for the damage the Slayer had sustained, no matter how much it felt like he was. Because, as far as the Rune mage was concerned, it was his job as the Dominant in their relationship to make sure Gajeel was safe. Not just in their bedroom, but overall. Gajeel needed him, and Freed hadn't been there.

' _But I can't be there all the time,'_ he reminded himself. There was just no way that was even possible.

And no matter how much logic Freed tried to use, he just felt consumed with guilt. And with hopelessness. Because, even though Wendy had told him that Gajeel would wake up when he was ready, he was starting to think that day would never come. And Freed would never be the same if he lost the Iron Slayer.

He took a slow, shuddering breath as he felt his eyes burning with unshed tears.

Ever since running out of the infirmary after listening to Porlyusica, the Rune mage hadn't allowed himself to cry. There hadn't been time for it, and he didn't need anyone knowing just what it was that had upset him so much. But he just couldn't keep it bottled up any longer. He missed Gajeel so much. Hearing his voice, feeling those familiar fingers as they braided his hair before bed, his smile, his laugh… Even the way he sang and played his guitar. Freed missed being serenaded by Gajeel's horrible lyrics, and hearing how beautiful his voice was while singing along with some random song playing in the background.

"G-Gajeel," Freed whispered, leaning forward in his chair. "Please wake up…"

There was no response, but he hadn't been expecting one. After several painfully long minutes, he got up from his seat and laid down on the edge of the bed. Gajeel's broken arm and leg were closer to the door, which meant Freed only had to be careful of the multitude of bandages all over him. His head rested on one of the few uninjured spots on the Iron Slayer's shoulder, his vision filled with the left side of Gajeel's face that was covered in bandages, and Freed closed his eyes to combat the tears that were winning in the war against his iron will. He just couldn't hold himself back any longer. He was terrified of what his future would hold if he lost Gajeel. Nothing would be the same for him. Life was already losing its color, fading into a dull grey without the man he loved to bring a smile to his lips.

"P-Please," Freed sniffled. "Gajeel, don't leave me…"

The Rune mage didn't hear the door to the infirmary opening as he carefully shifted so his fingers could brush over Gajeel's stubbled, bandage-free cheek, then to his hair. He didn't care that it needed to be washed. That was so far down on his list of concerns that the Rune mage barely even noticed it.

Mira's small, hopeful smile faded as she stopped in the doorway, a tray with a cup of piping hot tea and a sandwich in her hands. She'd known that Freed was sitting by Gajeel's side for the past week, waiting for him to wake up, but no one was entirely sure why. And from what she could tell, nobody was going to question him about it. What she hadn't anticipated was seeing the Rune mage in tears, cuddling up with the unconscious Iron Slayer. His eyes were closed, but he looked so broken right then. The last time she'd seen Freed cry like this was years ago, during Laxus' Thunder Palace incident when she'd beaten the Rune mage.

"C-Come back to me, Gajeel," Freed whimpered. "Please… Don't l-leave me all alone." He sniffled and swiped away the tears that wouldn't stop now that they'd started with his unbuttoned sleeve. The Rune mage hadn't seen the point in making sure he looked as put together as usual. There was no one to impress that mattered, and spending time fixing his hair and ensuring that his stupid cravat was in place would take time away from watching over Gajeel. "P-Please… Just open your eyes…"

Mira bit her lips in silence as she watched Freed with the unconscious mage. Part of her wanted to smile at the tenderness she could see in the Rune mage's actions, but her heart ached at the sight before her. How broken and lost he seemed. And she was sure that it really wasn't a good time for her to interrupt, but the white-haired barmaid couldn't even bring herself to back away from the infirmary. She was stuck, rooted to the spot, and unable to do much more than watch as Gajeel's fingers twitched slightly where they peeked out from his cast.

Freed didn't seem to notice as Gajeel's breathing changed.

"Come back to me," Freed whispered. "Please, Gajeel…"

The Iron Slayer frowned when he felt a slight weight against his left arm, but he hardly noticed it over the dull ache that wracked his body. One small breath, because anything more hurt like a motherfucker, and he picked up way too many scents.

Old blood, rubbing alcohol, tears, iron. The adhesive on tape. Tea. Books. And Freed.

His head felt muddy, as though he was trying to push through a thick fog. But he knew Freed was with him, and damn did that make him feel a whole hell of a lot better. Because the last thing he knew, Gajeel had been puking his fucking brains out on a train.

"I-I need you," Freed sniffled, clamping his eyes shut tighter when he thought he felt the Iron Slayer stirring. It was just wishful thinking, he knew.  _'He'll never wake up again. I should have known this was too good to be true…'_

Gajeel wiggled his toes a little, wincing when his right leg flared with pain. His fingers moved, and he felt another shaft of pain streaking up his right arm. Another short breath, and he felt tape pulling at his skin all over his chest and stomach. And when he tried to open his mouth, he swore it felt as though someone had taken a white-hot brand to his left cheek. Feeling the inside with his tongue, though moving sluggishly, he cringed at the feeling of stitches running the full length of it, all the way to his lips.

' _What the fuck happened to me?'_

His eye cracked open, and he had to blink several times before he could make sense of any of the blurred, distorted blobs he saw. Just a ceiling. It was weird as hell when he tried to talk, and Gajeel had to swallow several times just to get his throat feeling as though it would start to work with him again. With the way his face felt, talking probably wasn't the best idea.

"I-I just want to… to see your eyes," Freed cried quietly. "Just one m-more time."

The Iron Slayer didn't really care about whether or not something was a good idea when he heard the defeated tone in Freed's voice. Or the fear. Just what the hell had happened to put his boyfriend in such a state? Whatever it was, the raven-haired mage already knew he was going to beat it right the fuck up as soon as he could get on his feet. He had to talk with only one side of his mouth, and keep his teeth together so he didn't pull on the stitches in his cheek, but Gajeel was nothing if not stubborn. If that's how it had to be, then fine. But when he tried to lift his arm so he could hold Freed, the Iron Slayer was outwardly hissing in pain.

Freed's head shot up in an instant. "G-Gajeel?"

A single ruby eye cracked open from a long blink, then slid over toward Freed. "Shh," he whispered. "Don't…" He had to clear his throat when he felt just how dry it was. "Don't cry, okay?"

Freed failed to stifle a relieved sob at the sound of his lover's voice. "Y-You're awake…"

"Sorta." Gajeel's attempt at a small smirk ended with him groaning in discomfort. "Promised I wouldn't… leave ya."

Freed shook his head, his lips quivering as his head dropped to Gajeel's shoulder. Full-bodied sobs broke free unchecked, and he had to remind himself that he couldn't cling to Gajeel like he wanted. With the amount of damage the other man's body had sustained, there was no way he was going to chance hurting him more just because he wanted the comfort.

"Hey…" Gajeel sighed when all he could manage was pulling a little of Freed's loose hair between his fingers. "I'm okay, baby… S'alright now."

"I-I'm supposed to t-take care of you," Freed sobbed. "I-I… Gajeel…"

The Iron Slayer took a slow breath while tugging on Freed's hair hard enough to get his attention. "Move my arm," he whispered. "I wanna hold ya."

Freed let out a hiccupping sob and sniffled loudly while shifting on the bed so Gajeel's mostly uninjured arm was around his shoulders. The tender, barely there squeeze of his boyfriend's hand only made him cry harder. Gajeel was trying so hard just to comfort him right then, and he knew that. But this wasn't right. Freed was supposed to make sure that Gajeel was okay. He needed to pull himself together and tend to anything his boyfriend needed, but he just… He just couldn't move. And he couldn't stop himself from letting out every single relieved tear he had in his body.

"Mmm… Smell a book," Gajeel whispered. "And my iron…" That had to mean that Freed had been reading recently. He only had one piece of Gajeel's iron with him at all times, the little bookmark that he'd made. "Were you readin' to me?"

Freed only mumbled incoherently into the white gown that Gajeel had been changed into.

"Such a nerd," Gajeel chuckled breathily. It took more effort than he would have liked to pull Freed just a little closer, and it hurt like hell on his ribs when the Rune mage's smaller body was pressed flush against him. "C'mere, sexy. Don't fall apart on me."

Freed found himself latching on and refusing to let go, even though he knew that Gajeel must have been in pain. And all he could think about was what Lucy would have done for Laxus in this situation. Because, even though the two blondes had only recently found out about his relationship with Gajeel, he'd taken the Celestial mage to the side and had a nice, long conversation with her about her role in her relationship with Laxus. For the first time since getting together with Gajeel, he had someone to talk to about it. Someone who understood having a Dragon Slayer being submissive to them.

And when Freed thought about Lucy and Laxus, he was also reminded of the fact that they were mated. The two had mating marks, and he knew it was something he wished for with Gajeel. Before, Freed had thought that maybe he just wasn't the one for Gajeel, because he'd been too inexperienced, and felt like he was making mistake after mistake sometimes. But the Iron Slayer was always reassuring him, even without words, that he wasn't looking anywhere else. Freed was the one he wanted. But they had a rule, one that had been in place from the very beginning.  _'No marks…'_

Freed had been worried that Gajeel would leave a hickey on him the first time they were together, and if someone had seen it, he would have had to say where it came from. After that, the rule had stuck, even though there were times when Freed  _wanted_  Gajeel to bite him and leave little love marks on his flesh.

"I-I want to change a rule," Freed said suddenly. His head turned to look at the bandages on Gajeel's cheek, and he winced when he realized that he needed to move so they could see each other. "About m-marks. I-"

Gajeel groaned while moving his arm and placing the tips of his fingers over Freed's lips. "Later," he said. It really wasn't the time for them to talk about the rules they had in the damn bedroom. Not when he could tell he was drugged up on painkillers. Besides… "I just wanna hold ya."

Freed blinked in surprise.

"Please?"

"A-Always," he whispered, closing his eyes again and getting just a little more comfortable. Just being able to feel Gajeel's fingers toying with his hair was enough for him right then, and when he thought about it, it probably wasn't the best time to bring any of that up. Based on how Gajeel sounded, it was a struggle just for him to speak in the first place.

The Iron Slayer's gaze shifted toward the door, to the sound of another heartbeat that he hadn't heard before then. "Mira," he said. "Come back later… Now ain't the time…"

Freed slowly brought his fingers to Gajeel's bare cheek, smiling when he felt his boyfriend's lips barely puckering against his fingertips. He wanted to kiss the man more than ever right then, but it was too soon. "I love you," he sighed happily.

"Love you too, ya precious little shit," Gajeel answered with a breathy, pained laugh.

"I am f-far from precious," Freed said, his cheeks roaring to life.

"I'll go and get Wendy," Mira whispered as she backed out of the room, letting the door close once again. She couldn't help but smile while making her way back down the stairs. And even though she wanted to shout her happiness from the rooftops that there was such an adorable couple in the guild - even though they couldn't have babies that she could spoil - she was going to keep her mouth shut. The last thing they needed was extra attention right then.

Gajeel groaned as he turned his head just a little toward his boyfriend. "You are," he whispered. "Too tired to argue the point though. Gimme a rain check."

"Should I get Wendy to-"

"Mira's on it."

Freed didn't even mind one bit that the barmaid had seen them. He and Gajeel were going to tell Mira soon anyway, so it didn't matter to him one bit if she told the rest of the guild right then.

"I know yer freaked out, nerd…"

"You shouldn't be talking, Gajeel," Freed sniffled.

"So, tell me what the fuck happened."

"Wendy would be better suited for that," he sighed. "I… don't like thinking about it. What you looked like when you were brought in..."

"That bad?"

"... Yes."

Gajeel sighed and tightened his grip on the Rune mage, his eye cutting over to the door when he heard several sets of footsteps approaching. "More'n just Wendy," he whispered. "In case you wanna clean up, or-"

"I don't give a damn what I look like," Freed said, shaking his head slightly. "You are awake. That's all that matters."

Gajeel started to smile, then grunted in pain. "Freed, stop making me happy, damnit."

"I'm sorry," the Rune mage replied dryly. "I will try to refrain from lifting your mood."

"Good, that shit hurts."

"Happiness is painful?" he smirked. "Maybe Wendy should check you for brain damage, Gajeel."

"I'm gonna damage yer fuckin' brain, you keep it up," Gajeel growled playfully.

"If you say 'With my dick in your mouth' I'm quitting, right now."

Gajeel was barely able to repress a smile at the suddenly playful mood his boyfriend had slipped into. He loved that about Freed, how he could look and sound so serious, but just be joking around the entire time. Granted, Gajeel hadn't really been able to see Freed all that much in the first place, since he could already tell that turning his head was a bad fucking idea. "Not my dick, then," Gajeel sighed.

"Thank goodness."

"Not in yer mouth, at least…" It took everything in the Iron Slayer's power not to laugh when the door opened and Freed's team followed Wendy and Lucy into the infirmary.

"Gajeel, now is not the time to be joking about fucking me."

"Never said I was jokin', ya sexy little Christmas tree."

"As soon as you're healed up, I'm going to beat you with a paddle for that…"

"The Christmas tree thing, or me wanting to fuck you?"

The group paused and stared at the two mages on the bed, with Freed none the wiser that they weren't alone. "I am not a Christmas tree, Gajeel," he whispered with a smile, sniffling slightly and brushing away his tears.

"So you have no issue with the fucking," Gajeel prodded.

"None whatsoever," Freed replied. "I'm looking forward to it." His eyes opened and instantly found his team, specifically Bickslow and Evergreen, staring at him with their jaws slack.

"Surprise," the Iron Slayer chuckled. Only a moment later, he groaned at the painful ache in his chest and across his cheek. It had to be the drugs that were making him forget to be careful about smiling and laughing. Or they were just making him loopy to begin with.

"Well," Bickslow coughed. "Congratulations?"

"Y-Yeah," Evergreen nodded, her eyes wide.

Everyone sat in an awkward silence for several moments before Freed cleared his throat and closed his eyes again. "Wendy, please tell me that I don't have to move," he whispered.

"Not right now," she said, giving the tired Iron Slayer an encouraging smile. "How are you feeling, Gajeel?"

"Like a train ran over my ass."

"Actually," Laxus said, wincing slightly. "More like it was  _dragging_  your ass." At the confused look he got from the raven-haired mage, he let out a long sigh.

Thankfully, Lucy stepped up and helped to explain it. How Gajeel had gotten sick on the train, which he remembered, then some Children of the fucking Corn sneaking up and pushing him off the back. They had tied a rope to his foot, so Gajeel had been dragged down the tracks for a quarter of a mile before Pantherlily was able to cut the rope. The kids had been on their way to Magnolia, and were taken in by Rune Knights after being identified by Pantherlily two days after Gajeel was brought in. Their reasoning for it was that they were just having some fun, and thought the rope was short enough for Gajeel not to get hurt.

Then it was Wendy's turn to tell the Iron Slayer about the injuries he'd sustained. A good hit to the head had knocked him out before he was even fully off the train, which helped to explain why he didn't remember anything other than throwing up. A railroad spike had punctured his lung and nearly pierced his heart. Broken ribs, arm and leg. Internal bleeding and a perforated kidney. And then there was his damn face. The whole left side of Gajeel's face had really gone through the ringer, between his torn up cheek and the fact that his eyebrow and nose piercings had been ripped out while he was tumbling down the train tracks. Wendy assured him that there wouldn't be any visible scarring on his eye or nose. But his eyebrow would apparently never grow back.

"That's actually a fuckin' relief," Gajeel whispered, drawing everyone's attention in the silent room.

"... What?" Bickslow frowned.

"Now I only have to wax one of my damn eyebrows," Gajeel answered. "Do you have any idea how much of a hassle that shit is to do around piercings?"

Everyone's eyes locked onto Gajeel's only visible eyebrow, and Freed simply smiled against his chest. "You mean now  _I'll_  only have to wax one of your eyebrows…"

"Yer better at it," Gajeel replied. "And I get ya on my lap, so I'm fine with it."

"You, uh… Seriously wax your eyebrows?" Evergreen asked curiously.

"Yep."

"Damn," Bickslow chuckled. "I thought you just didn't have any, what with the piercings."

"Nope."

"Gajeel looks terrifying with eyebrows," Freed said. "I asked him to grow them out… Laxus, they are thicker than yours."

Everyone blinked and stared at the Iron Slayer, and Lucy shuddered. "That's… creepy."

"Hey, fuck you, Blondie!" Laxus scowled.

"No," she laughed. "Your eyebrows suit you, baby. But… Gajeel…"

"Hence the wax," the Iron Slayer muttered, closing his eye.

"Um," Wendy mumbled. "Gajeel, there's something else."

"Yeah? Make it quick, 'cause I'm fuckin' exhausted."

"Your eye," Wendy said. "It was damaged too much for me to do anything."

His eye slowly opened and he gazed squarely down at the fidgeting blunette. "Did I lose it?"

"N-No, it's still there. I just, um… I couldn't heal it with how low my magic got by the time everything else was handled. I-It's why you have stitches, and-"

"So, I'm half-blind," he mused.

"Y-Yes… I'm so s-sorry, Gaj-"

"Squirt." Wendy's lips clamped shut in an instant, and she gazed up at the bandaged Slayer timidly only to find him giving her the best smile he could manage. "Don't apologize," Gajeel said softly. "You saved my damn life. I'll take being part blind and crippled in a wheelchair over bein' dead any fuckin' day of the year."

"You won't be in a wheelchair for long," she assured him. "Just until your leg heals a little more."

"Not the point," he whispered. "I'm alive. My eye can go and fuck itself. As long as I'm alive, that's all that matters."

Everyone watched as his eye closed again and his head turned just a little - as much as he could manage, they were all sure - toward Freed. For having their relationship outed this way, even though it was really only Freed's team there, the two mages in the bed didn't seem to be all that affected by it.

"Freed, how long have you… um…" Evergreen said softly.

"Thirteen months," the Rune mage whispered with a tender smile.

"And you kept it a secret this whole time," Bickslow nodded, a slow smile stretching over his wide lips. "Sneaky bastards."

"Ask questions later," Gajeel muttered. "And fuck the hell off."

"Aw, but we're just chatting," Bickslow chuckled.

"And I'm just cuddling with my sexy little fuckin' nerd. Get yer own."

And instead of the Seith mage responding, he simply smiled and shook his head down at the two mages. It wasn't a surprise that Freed was gay, since he'd never really been all that secretive of his infatuation with Laxus. And Bickslow had never had a problem with it. And sure, he'd been surprised as hell to find out that Freed and Gajeel were together in any capacity, but while he looked at the two, he couldn't help but see just how well they fit together. The fact that Freed had been crying in the first place was a testament to how deeply he cared for the Iron Slayer. But the way he was smiling, and just how perfectly he fit in the guy's arm that was wrapped around him… It was a seriously beautiful thing.

"We'll let you guys get some rest," Lucy whispered. "Let us know if you need anything, alright?"

"Mm," Gajeel mumbled. "Where's Lily?"

"He's been staying with me," Wendy answered. "I'll have him come up in a little while, if you'd like."

"Nah, let him relax," Gajeel whispered sleepily. "Fuck, you smell good, baby."

"I haven't showered since yesterday," Freed winced. He'd been planning on doing that earlier, but then he'd had his little meltdown, and now there was no way he would be moving if he could help it.

"I don't give a shit," Gajeel smirked. "Ya smell delicious."

"Gajeel, I do have to change your bandages," Wendy said softly. "Is that okay right now?"

"Do yer thing, Squirt. Can't say I'll be much help." And within minutes, he was already unconscious again, snoring softly and getting only the scent of his boyfriend in his nostrils with every short inhale. By the time Wendy had finished changing out Gajeel's bandages, Freed was also sleeping. She turned and gave the group that hadn't moved an inch in all that time a silent thumbs up to let them know that Gajeel was healing well, and everyone finally left the two slumbering mages in the infirmary.

* * *

Gajeel had never been more impressed with Dragon Slayer magic than when he watched what Wendy was able to do. And he was, in essence, one of the hardest cases the little girl had ever had to handle. He definitely admired her determination to help everyone, but the Iron Slayer had one very big rule for her as far as his recovery was concerned.

Wendy was only allowed to check and make sure he was healing properly as soon as he was released from the infirmary. He didn't care how often she checked him out, or anything else, but there was no way in hell that he was going to take the easy way out of things by asking her to make his leg or arm heal faster. And he wasn't going to take advantage of her magic by having her heal him more than was necessary. Which meant the Iron Slayer was in a wheelchair for several months. It didn't bother him all that much, to be completely honest. Because all he kept thinking about, every single morning when he would wake up, was that he was lucky as hell to be alive.

After all of the battles he'd been through, even facing down Acnologia and nearly fucking dying on Tenrou, this was it for Gajeel. This was his moment of clarity.

Freed walked into the room, buttoning his crimson shirt and tucking it into his black, pressed slacks. From where Gajeel was lying on the bed, he couldn't help but watch the Rune mage bustle around to get dressed for the day. It was something as simple as this that Gajeel loved the most. Just being able to see his boyfriend adjusting his clothing while looking in the mirror. Watching as his hair was pushed over one shoulder so he could brush it out.

His style of dress had changed slightly in the past few months. The cravat had been set to the side for good (and was now acting as a blindfold or gag in the bedroom), and Freed looked more casual than before. Still in a dress shirt and pressed slacks, but now the shirt was opened just a little instead of choking him. His sword was attached to the belt around his pants instead of his signature red jacket. And the jacket itself, which was sitting out in Freed's living room, stayed unbuttoned. Even how the Rune mage kept his hair was different. It wasn't tied back any longer, simply flowing freely unless he was on a mission. Every once in awhile, Freed would tie it up into a high ponytail, with hair still framing his face and the little lightning-shaped cowlicks sticking out.

And Gajeel loved every bit of it.

That day was just a little different. The dress clothes Freed normally wore had been replaced with a far too sexy suit - black jacket and tie with a red dress shirt and matching handkerchief. This was worth everything to him. Being able to see Freed as he turned toward the bed, how those thin lips turned up into a smile that was only for him and how his cheeks would flush only slightly when he realized that he was being watched.

"What are you smiling like that for?" Freed laughed, his eyes drifting to the floor as his blush deepened.

"Just thinkin' I'm the luckiest bastard in the world," Gajeel whispered. "You ready to go?"

"Yes," Freed nodded, lifting his gaze to the Slayer on the bed when he heard the soft shuffle of fabric. "Do you need help?"

Gajeel shook his head and slowly sat up, placing his feet on the floor. It took him a moment to really prepare to stand up, but now that he was supposed to start weight-bearing exercises for his leg, Gajeel was more than ready to get it going. His hand sought out Freed's once he was on his feet, and he gave the Rune mage a small, embarrassed smile.

"This is wonderful," Freed grinned. "How do you feel?"

"Alright, I guess," Gajeel chuckled. "Walking is something completely different though."

"Yes, but the crutches are gone," Freed said. "And we will take our time getting around while you adjust to using the cane."

"I know, I know," the Iron Slayer smirked playfully, "And we'll stop and rest whenever I need it."

"Precisely." Freed moved to stand in front of his boyfriend, then sighed as Gajeel's arm wrapped around him. His right arm still rested in a sling more often than not, even though it was technically healed, because of the screws that Wendy and Porlyusica had opted to put in the bones to keep them aligned. Granted, they'd needed to be made from Gajeel's metal so his body wouldn't absorb it, which meant the healers had to wait for him to wake up after he'd been brought in in the first place. Gajeel simply preferred to keep his arm a little better protected while his leg was still healing, since one particular morning had caused him to fall and nearly break it again while trying to catch himself.

"I'm still not complainin' about how you baby me," Gajeel chuckled.

"And I am more than happy to do it," Freed answered, with one hand resting on the fine silk of Gajeel's crimson dress shirt that matched his own.

His fingers traced the line of Gajeel's jaw, his thumb brushing over the new scar that reached from the corner of his lips, over his left cheek, and up toward his ear. Then to his nose and the piercings he'd replaced once he was healed.

Gajeel's eyes closed when Freed found his way to his left eyebrow, sighing as those slender fingers brushed so tenderly over his replaced piercings. It had been a bitch to put new ones in, since he'd done them in the first place while he was still just a kid, but it was all back to normal now, and the damn things were now anchored in the bone to make sure they weren't going anywhere. Just for good measure, Gajeel had anchored all of his piercings in his bones where he could - both eyebrows, his chin, his nose. He was waiting until the screws were out of his arm to deal with those piercings.

Almost six months later, and the only proof that Gajeel had been injured at all was in his broken leg and arm. Aside from the scar on his cheek, no one could really tell that he'd nearly died. And when Freed's thumb brushed under his left eye, Gajeel gave him a saddened smile. He hadn't been lying when he told Wendy that his eye didn't matter all that much to him. That had been the truth. But Gajeel could see the damage that had been done when he looked in the mirror. With one eye perfectly clear, still the same crimson that had always looked back at him, Gajeel could see the other that was utterly useless. Just a light pink, milky iris that had no hope of being able to function again. That was usually where his issues with balance and running into shit in general stemmed from. His depth perception was still off after a few months, but he was getting better.

Freed sighed in contentment as he was pulled into a slow kiss, filled with emotion. Ever since waking up together in the infirmary, things had been different between the two of them. Gajeel had been caring in his own way before, but now… It was almost as though nearly dying had made the Iron Slayer open up even more. Freed had never really been one for public displays of affection, but it seemed that Gajeel absolutely loved it. Or maybe it was just that he loved making Freed blush in the middle of the guild.

The women in the guild definitely loved seeing the two cuddled up together, or how Freed would help Gajeel get around when he needed to. The amount of cooing that had happened when a flaming Natsu had been hurtling through the air toward Gajeel's wheelchair, only to hit a wall of runes, had both mages cringing at the time.

Freed pulled back from Gajeel's lips on a gasp when the Iron Slayer playfully bit his tongue.

"I was thinkin'," Gajeel grinned.

"That is a dangerous thing, from time to time," Freed whispered.

"You changed that rule about marks." And Gajeel knew just what the Rune mage had been getting at when they had finally talked it all out. He was now allowed to give his boyfriend hickeys and to bite him hard enough to bruise, if he so chose, while they were in the bedroom. But there was something hidden in all of it that Gajeel had hardly been able to believe. Being allowed to mark Freed, even with just a hickey, meant they were that much closer to the Rune mage wearing a different, more permanent mark. One that Gajeel was more than ready to give him.

"I did," Freed nodded.

"So, I was wonderin' if you'd let me try something."

"That would depend on what it is."

"Well," Gajeel sighed. He winced while slowly shifting his weight to put just a little pressure on his injured leg. It wasn't much, but he knew he'd get back to normal with time. "Ya see, there's this thing… A test, kinda… That I've gotta do before I could make someone my mate."

"O-Oh?"

The raven-haired mage couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the suddenly flustered expression on his boyfriend's face. "I told you about how it all works already, since the Spark Plug and Bunny Girl went through it."

"I remember," Freed nodded slowly.

"So, he had to shock her. Like, really shock her, with his lightning. And when she was able to handle it, he knew that she was his mate."

"Right," Freed nodded again. "You told me that."

"So, the raw elements are pretty simple," Gajeel whispered. "If the person can absorb it, and not be hurt by it, then they're the one."

"I understand."

"Mine's a little more complicated."

Freed's lips turned down in thought, but he stayed silent.

"My mate would have to be able to take my metal… somehow. Since it's not fire or lightning or anything else, I've gotta do something different."

"I see. What might that be?"

Gajeel nibbled his lip nervously, then whispered, "Would you let me test you?"

Freed's mouth opened and closed for several seconds, his eyes widening in surprise. "M-Me?"

Gajeel nodded slowly. "You," he said. "I'll know if you're the one, Freed. Without a doubt. And… whenever you'll let me, we can take that step."

"G-Gajeel, I…"

"It doesn't have to be now," the Iron Slayer smiled. "But I want you to know… Yer it for me. I can feel it. And if you ain't ready to get that serious right now, then that's fine with me. I can wait."

It was exactly what he'd wanted to hear Gajeel say, but Freed was left at a loss for what he should respond with. Did he  _want_  to be the Iron Slayer's mate? Definitely. But there had always been that kernel of doubt in him that this wouldn't last forever. That there was someone out there who would steal the man he loved away by a choice of fate, someone who was better suited to be with Gajeel than him. "Wh-What would happen if…" Freed's brow furrowed as his gaze shifted to the floor. "If you did this test, and… I wasn't the one…"

"You are."

"But, if I'm  _not_ … What would happen?"

"You'd get metal poisoning, and I'd have to get ya to a hospital. My iron's really not suited for being in someone's body."

"H-How soon would you know i-if…"

"Right away," Gajeel whispered.

"But, if I'm not your… W-Well, there would be no point in st-staying together… And I… I don't want to lose-"

"Freed," Gajeel sighed, pressing a soft kiss to his lover's lips to silence him. "I know it's you. I can feel it."

"But, what if I'm not?" Freed whispered shakily. "What if…"

"What if you are, and we never find out because yer too scared of that slim fuckin' chance that I'm makin' a mistake about what I feel for ya?" Gajeel smirked. "I don't take this lightly, nerd. I was taught what to look for in my mate. I just wanna know, a hundred percent, that it's you. And I want you to know it, too. So all you have to do is let me test it."

"Where would you be… p-putting your iron?"

Gajeel's smile widened into a devious grin and he pressed a finger to Freed's chin, then slowly pushed his lips apart. His finger slipped inside the Rune mage's mouth, lightly touching his tongue. "Right here," he whispered. "So, do you want to find out?"

Freed's eyes slid closed and he gave the single digit a long, slow suck, smiling wickedly when Gajeel's breath stuttered. "Can we thit for thith?" he asked, his words muffled by that thick, calloused finger.

Gajeel nodded and carefully sat down on the bed, groaning in relief as the weight was taken off his injured leg. He hadn't even realized that he needed to take a break already. After only a few minutes, he was feeling weakness in the limb that he didn't want to dwell on.

Freed stayed standing, watching as his boyfriend got situated on the bed again, leaning against the headboard. "Where should I sit?"

"On my lap, preferably," Gajeel chuckled. Within seconds, slim hips were settled on his, and he was looking deeply into Freed's only visible eye. "Open yer mouth."

Freed's lips parted slowly, a blush roaring to life on his cheeks as Gajeel's finger pushed back into his mouth.

"Count of three," Gajeel whispered. "One… Two…" He sent out a quick burst of iron from his fingertip, forming it in an instant into a thin shaft of metal that speared through Freed's tongue.

Turquoise eyes rolled back in ecstasy and a low, aroused groan rumbled in Freed's throat. As soon as Gajeel's finger was out of his mouth, the Rune mage was diving forward and crashing their lips together while pleasure rippled through his limbs.

"Mmph… Freed," Gajeel laughed, trying in vain to pull back from his suddenly ravenous boyfriend. "Wait…"

"No," Freed groaned. His newly pierced tongue darted out and teased Gajeel's into a winding, writhing dance. He'd heard plenty of stories, and had done research when he was so inclined, about piercings. It wasn't hard to figure out what Gajeel had done, but there hadn't been any pain like the stories had said. All Freed felt was heat spreading through his limbs, and hardening his member within his pants.

"Lemme see." Gajeel groaned as he was pushed back against the headboard, and his mouth was more thoroughly invaded. He could feel the little piercing he'd given Freed, and definitely heard it knocking lightly against his own tongue piercings, but he was curious to see just what it looked like on the Rune mage. But as his lover's slender fingers slid over his chest to grip his raven hair, Gajeel decided that it would be best to wait to see it. Because Freed was, in no way, a masochist. The only pain Gajeel had ever seen him enjoy was being bitten while they were having sex. He very nearly turned into a blubbering mess while stubbing his toe. But this… With the way Freed was reacting to his iron, Gajeel knew in an instant. He really was the one. Anyone else would have gotten metal poisoning from his iron, almost as though he'd injected mercury right into their bloodstream. Only his mate would actually have a more than positive reaction to it. Much like Freed was. And the best part about it was that there was no swelling and no pain, just like when Gajeel pierced himself. Freed's body saw the piercing as a part of him, not something foreign.

Eventually, the Rune mage felt the heat spreading through him lessen. The harsh waves of desire settled into a soothing lull, and he gave Gajeel one last gentle kiss before pulling back to look into his eyes. "I-I… Does this mean…"

"Yer my mate," Gajeel grinned. The utterly overjoyed look on Freed's face, his brilliant smile and shining eyes, had the Iron Slayer laughing as he pulled the man into his chest. "You tell me when yer ready, and we'll make it official."

"I have been ready for some time, Gajeel."

Gajeel bit his lip as his nose nestled in Freed's hair. "Then, I'll tell ya what…" He moved slowly until their lips were pressed together again, smiling all the while. "I'll make it a surprise."

"It will be hardly a surprise if I know you're going to do it," Freed laughed.

"Mating is a special thing, Freed," Gajeel replied. "You'll be marrying me, in a sense."

"But same-sex marriages…"

"I know, we can't get married legally," Gajeel nodded. That was still something that he hated, but Fiore could suck his dick with all their medieval law bullshit. Some piece of paper wasn't going to make Freed any more his, so it wasn't that important to him. It stung that he couldn't actually marry the man he loved, but this was his mate. Being mated and marked was on a whole other level.

"Would you want to?" Freed asked. "If we could."

"We could take a trip out down to Minstrel and do it," Gajeel answered. "And yes, I really do wanna marry yer ass."

The Rune mage flushed brilliantly and ducked his head. "You would… want to go to another country, just to marry me?"

"In a fuckin' heartbeat. But, regardless of whether or not we're  _recognized_  as being married, we'll still be mated eventually. And when that happens, I... wanna do something special for ya."

"Special, how?" Freed smirked. "It will already be special."

"When we do it," Gajeel said softly, drawing his boyfriend's attention back to him in an instant. "You'll be the one takin' me, nerd."

"Y-You mean…"

"I mean," he smiled. "I want you to take my virginity."

"B-But you're not really a v-virgin," Freed sputtered. "Unless…"

"Exactly," the Iron Slayer whispered. "I've never let anyone touch me there, Freed. I want you to be the only one to do it."

Freed already knew just why Gajeel had never allowed anyone to take him, because it left him too vulnerable, too open. It wasn't about the possible pain of being stretched to accommodate his lover, but simply about the level of trust he never had for anyone. But he wanted that with Freed.

"I can't say I'll want it to happen all the time," Gajeel muttered with a wince. "But, I wanna share that with ya. Give ya somethin' that no one else has ever gotten from me."

"Aside from your undying love?" Freed smiled.

"Exactly."

The Rune mage's arms wound around Gajeel's shoulders and he bit his lips while looking into his boyfriend's mismatched eyes. "I'd like that very much, Gajeel."

"Yeah, I bet you would," the Iron Slayer teased, nipping playfully at his fine chin. "You've just been waitin' all this time to stick something up my ass."

Freed's face fell into a blank stare. "I will not be 'sticking something up your ass,' Gajeel."

"Oh, yeah?"

"I will be gifting you with the honor of carrying my anal babies," Freed nodded firmly. "This is quite the honor for you."

"Wh-What the fuck?!" Gajeel cackled.

Freed smiled and sifted his fingers through the Iron Slayer's hair, bring their lips together again and again even though they were both laughing. "We should get to going," he whispered. "If I am to be the best man today, I shouldn't be late."

Gajeel nodded and watched as his boyfriend carefully got up from the bed, then smoothed the imaginary wrinkles in his clothes. He slowly sat up and moved to the edge again, instantly taking Freed's hand as it was held out to him. And once Gajeel was on his feet, with hardly any pressure being set on his healing leg, he caught sight of their reflection in the mirror Freed used while getting dressed. Gajeel was never one for suits. They just weren't his style. But he'd agreed to wear one for Laxus and Lucy's wedding that day. And for once in his life, the Iron Slayer was left speechless by how he looked. More specifically, how he looked standing next to his boyfriend. The two of them looked damn good together, but he was sure that it was Freed making that happen. Because when Gajeel turned his head to get a full look at the two of them - out of habit, since only one eye actually worked - all he could see was the scar on his face and the milky pink orb that had once been a vibrant red marring the beautiful picture of them together.

Freed leaned over and grabbed Gajeel's cane from where it was leaning against the nightstand, then turned and handed it to him. It hadn't been a surprise that the Iron Slayer had taken the cane he'd been given and spruced it up with his metal. Now the entire thing was coated in iron with a smooth dragon head adorning the top where his hand would sit, and a long body spiralling down the length of the rest. Thankfully, Gajeel had left the rubber stopper on the bottom to muffle the sound it would make.

The Rune mage looked up and followed Gajeel's line of sight with a smile, leaning into his side. "Handsome, as always," he whispered.

"I don't know about all that," Gajeel muttered.

Freed let out a slow breath while leaning up to press his lips against the Iron Slayer's scarred cheek. "No matter how many scars you have," he said, peppering the flesh with more kisses, "You will always be handsome to me." It was no secret to him that Gajeel was actually very self-conscious about how he looked where the left side of his face was concerned. He hated that his eye no longer worked, and even more that it wasn't still red. And Gajeel had constantly questioned Freed about why he would stay with him, when the scar on his cheek was so hideous. But nothing as minor as that would change how Freed saw his boyfriend. Gajeel was just as handsome as before the accident.

Gajeel's right arm carefully wrapped around Freed, and he gave the other mage a small smile. "Well, as long as you think so, I guess…"

"There is no guessing involved," Freed smiled. "You're perfect, Gajeel. Everything I could have ever asked for in a man."

"And in a mate?" the Iron Slayer whispered.

"Definitely." The two shared another slow kiss, then Freed turned to lead Gajeel out of the bedroom and down the hall.

It was a long, slow process, but they made it work. Gajeel's sling was placed on his arm - as it almost always was when he was about to go outside - then the jacket for his own suit was draped over his shoulders. For the first time in six months, Gajeel didn't need help putting on his shoes. Tying the laces on the dress shoes was something else entirely, because he still struggled with his dexterity from time to time, but Freed had no issue helping him finish up.

"Should you need it at any time," Freed said as he locked the door behind him and watched his boyfriend's slow trek down the stairs to the sidewalk, "Let me know, and I will write some runes for you."

"It's not that far to Kardia Cathedral," Gajeel shrugged, still smirking down at the smaller mage. "But thanks. I'll do that."

After two blocks, with only one left to go, Freed was stopping the Iron Slayer and forcing him to rest his leg. They still had two hours before the ceremony would start, and Freed knew he would make it there on time. Just as Laxus already knew that the Rune mage was going to be helping Gajeel get to the wedding, so it might take a little longer than normal to get there from his home. Ten minutes after sitting down on a bench, Gajeel finally asked Freed for some help. The Rune mage wrote a pair of wings for his boyfriend, then ones for himself, and they flew the rest of the way to the cathedral.

And all during the ceremony that day, all Gajeel could think about was what it would be like to stand in front of all of their friends and guild mates and bind their lives together like this. Laxus looked damn good, and Lucy was absolutely beautiful. Maybe even more so because her six-month baby bump was pushing out the front of her dress. That night, during the reception, Gajeel and Freed danced together for the first time in their entire relationship. It was just a small shuffle here and there, mainly the Iron Slayer holding his boyfriend and carefully turning during a slow song, but for them it was perfect.

"We'll do all this one day," Gajeel whispered into Freed's hair. "And everyone will be there. Just like this."

"One day," Freed nodded, a wistful smile on his lips as he basked in the comfort his boyfriend provided. While it hurt that they would have to travel out of the country just to be able to do something like this, and Freed knew that not everyone in the guild would be able to attend the wedding he and Gajeel would have, he was still looking forward to the day when he could look into Gajeel's eyes and call the Iron Slayer his husband. And one day, his mate.

 


	5. For All Eternity

 

Freed loosened his tie while crossing the room, a contented sigh slipping past his thin lips. And there was just no stopping himself from catching sight of the nearly glowing black band of metal that sat on his ring finger. He still couldn't believe that they'd really done it. Down in the southern country of Minstrel, he and Gajeel had finally gotten married. It had taken another year after Laxus's wedding to Lucy for his now-husband to completely heal.

His leg and arm were back to normal, and he was stronger than ever before. He'd refused to back down from the challenge that was presented from losing the sight in his left eye, and had instead worked diligently to hone his other senses to compensate. Even though Porlyusica was able to make him an artificial eye to replace the damaged one, that would even match his natural eye color, Gajeel had refused. He'd gone through months of physical therapy, nearly an entire year of just trying to relearn how to walk and use his right arm properly again. The bones had healed, but Freed had come to find out that the Iron Slayer's body healed more slowly than he would have thought, being a Dragon Slayer. After all that time with Gajeel learning how to function, building up the strength he'd once had, his eye had been the least of his worries.

Porlyusica and Wendy had mentioned, after they'd used Gajeel's iron to anchor screws in his bones to keep them stable during his recovery, that the damage his eye had taken could be remedied by replacing it. It would take time for Porlyusica to make one for him, and he still needed to finish healing in general, but it was an option. They'd told Gajeel that, after six months, they could revisit the eye issue. Except, he'd been adamant about not having anything artificial, about accepting that he was half-blind and working around it.

He also let Freed know, in private, that Metallicana had been blinded in one eye during a fight to protect Gajeel when he was still just a child. No matter how hard it was going to be, Gajeel was proud to have something that reminded him of his father. The Iron Slayer wasn't ashamed of what happened to him, and he wore each scar from that day almost as though it was a badge of honor. He'd survived being pushed off the train and dragged behind it, and there was nothing to be embarrassed about because of it. Freed, however, still reminded him that it was an option when he had issues with adjusting to the lack of depth perception. Every once in a while, Gajeel would still run into a wall, or the dining table, but he'd improved whole leaps and bounds since he'd started his recovery.

During that time, their friends in the guild had started quite the petition for a change in the laws of Fiore. No one had been willing to try stopping Mira when she realized that their home country wouldn't allow Freed and Gajeel to be recognized as a married couple, and the fact that the monarchy was somehow standing firm on the subject made everyone cringe. She wasn't giving it up, no matter what. It was something they definitely appreciated, but even if the laws never changed, Freed and Gajeel and everyone else knew the truth. Lucy gave birth to a healthy girl in that time, and she and Laxus were waiting to try for another. Freed already knew that she hadn't wanted to be pregnant during the trip down to Minstrel, or to have a second baby to take care of while on a ship.

But, the Iron Slayer and Rune mage were finally married. And Freed couldn't have been happier. From what he understood, it was only a matter of time now before he and Gajeel were mated as well. As far as he could tell, Gajeel had wanted to wait until they were legally wed, instead of doing a wedding as an afterthought.

Freed came to stand in front of the window in their hotel room that looked out over the northern shore of Minstrel. It was a beautiful, rocky cliff that dropped right into the sea. They'd needed to ride a lift from the boat just to get into the country proper, since there wasn't an actual dock that led to flat land. Thankfully, Wendy had used a spell for Gajeel to not have to deal with his motion sickness. Quite a few jokes had been made by Gajeel about  _Princess Bride_. Namely that the Iron Slayer was forever to be known as the 'Dread Pirate Redfox'. Freed had never heard his lover so happy before. He seemed more than excited to be doing this, and the feeling was most definitely mutual. Their wedding had been small in comparison to Laxus and Lucy's back in Magnolia. The Raijinshuu, Master Makarov, Wendy and Carla, Pantherlily and, oddly enough, Crime Sorciere and Flare were their only guests. The independent guild had been in the area and, after hearing that there was a wedding, Jellal had brought his merry band of misfits to wish the couple well in life.

He wished the rest of the guild had been there, but it just wasn't possible. They all couldn't close the guild down for a week - the time it took to travel from Magnolia to Hargeon, then across the sea to Minstrel - just for a little wedding. And besides, the chapel wasn't that well-equipped to hold all of Fairy Tail.

Still, it had been perfect. Everything that Freed never thought he would get to experience in his lifetime.

When strong, bare arms lined with piercings wrapped around him, Freed instantly leaned back into that familiar chest with a wistful smile. A soft breath warmed his neck before full lips smiled against his flesh.

"So, Mister Redfox," Gajeel chuckled. "Everything you wanted it to be?"

"And more," Freed sighed. It hadn't even been an issue for him on who would change their name, or if either would do so. Freed's surname was made up entirely, because he didn't have one of his own that he remembered. And Gajeel's… Well, it was given to him by Metallicana. The Rune mage rather preferred carrying on the legacy of a great dragon's name, rather than his own pathetic attempt at elevating himself from nothingness.

Gajeel pressed a gentle kiss to his husband's throat while gazing out the window, across the lush emerald grass and off into the horizon. And when he was able to draw his attention from the setting sun and back toward the man in his arms only a moment later, Gajeel was struck into silence by just how damn beautiful Freed was. It had never been a secret to anyone that his husband was gorgeous. Freed put plenty of women to shame with his looks. But right then, Gajeel was finding himself awestruck by the gentle orange glow from the setting sun that overtook his husband's face and made his eyes glitter like turquoise stars. How the light caught the piercing he'd given Freed the week before, in the center of his lower lip.

It was absolutely breathtaking, seeing Freed like this. Even more so when he realized that this was the man who'd agreed to marry him, who would be his mate for all eternity.

"Freed," Gajeel breathed. "I love you."

"I love you more, Gajeel," Freed whispered, turning to smile over his shoulder and finding his lips enthusiastically claimed.

Gajeel moaned as Freed turned in his arms. Slim, delicate fingers mapped out the plains of his bare chest, pausing to toy with the hoops that pierced his nipples. He took slow steps backwards, leading his husband toward the bed. They had already agreed that their wedding night would be kink-free. It was just them, purely as equals. The next night, or even the next morning, Freed would be 'Master' again. But right then, the two lovers were free to explore each other as they pleased. Gajeel's hands worked at a slow, meandering pace to unbutton Freed's dress shirt. And once the smaller mage was bare from the waist up, with the ruby material pooling on the floor behind him, Gajeel pulled back from the kiss to give him a melting smile. His fingers hooked into Freed's belt loops, and he pulled the Rune mage closer until their bodies were pressed together. "Tonight, Freed."

"Tonight?" Freed breathed, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion.

Gajeel nodded while taking a seat on the bed, finally letting his husband see that he was already down to his boxers. He gently grabbed Freed's hips, bringing the Rune mage closer so he could lavish his pale flesh with open-mouthed kisses. "Yer my husband now," Gajeel whispered. "And now I wanna make you my mate."

"Y-You mean… Mmph, Gajeel…" Freed looked down to see sharp teeth trailing teasingly below his navel from one hip to the other.

"Yeah," the Iron Slayer nodded. "Tonight, I wanna mark you. And I want you to take me."

"You're s-sure…" Freed gasped as his lover's lips locked on one hip and roughly sucked on his pale skin. What he'd thought would be nothing more than a hickey turned into a sharp puncture that sent heat flaring through his limbs at an alarming rate. And when Gajeel's tongue circled the searing flesh, Freed could hear just the faintest knock of metal on metal. He stood frozen as the Iron Slayer quickly shot to his other hip and repeated the action. Once the piercings had set, Freed let out a low groan. He was breathless as Gajeel pulled back to admire his work, taking in the sight of two iron piercings on each of his hips. "G-Gajeel, you know what this does to me…"

It was becoming more and more difficult to make Gajeel stop piercing him each time he was given a new one. One in his tongue, his lower lip, two in each ear, and now his hips. They were always tasteful, simply iron barbells with little black ball adornments on either end. But it was more from Freed's inability to keep his hands off of the Iron Slayer after getting a new piercing that made him more reserved about getting them in the first place.

The Iron Slayer gave Freed a devilish grin and crawled backwards onto the bed. "I do," he growled. "So come and get me, sexy."

He loved watching as Freed struggled to maintain his composure while climbing onto the bed. His rigid, by-the-book husband was always so fun to rile up, especially when they switched into their own roles in the bedroom. But that night, it was about so much more. Gajeel wanted to give himself over to Freed completely, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't just a little nervous. And Freed would know it, if he wasn't at least a little distracted. Granted, Gajeel absolutely adored the way it felt to have his emerald-haired lover pouncing on him, just like he was right then, and claiming his lips so forcefully. There wasn't an inch of space between them, and even though Gajeel felt a bit more anxiety as Freed's pants were unbuttoned and pushed down his legs, he refused to dwell on it. Not when his husband was making some of the most intoxicating sounds that had ever graced his overly sensitive ears.

Freed's lips burned down the center of Gajeel's throat to his chest, pausing as he reached the Iron Slayer's erect, pierced nipples. Strong hands tangled in his hair as his lips surrounded one taut peak, and the Rune mage grinned while pushing his tongue ring through the hoop and giving it a short tug.

"F-Fuck," Gajeel groaned. "Be c-careful with tha - Ah!" His eyes rolled back as Freed's blunt teeth sank into his flesh in a bruising bite, just the way he liked it. His grip on Freed's hair tightened, drawing him closer while his back arched into the pain. Emerald strands cascaded over Gajeel's chest in silken waves, teasing him with soft touches while his lover sent shivers down his spine with harsh, wanting bites down to his boxers. The cloth was slowly pulled down, his hips lifting, and he watched with rapt attention as Freed moved lower to tease the base of his arousal with slow, languid licks.

"You're sure," Freed whispered, his seductive smile spreading as his breath fanned over Gajeel's shaft. "You know I'd prefer-"

"I-I'm sure," Gajeel panted. "Just… Go slow, okay?"

The Rune mage paused just before his lips closed around the flushed tip, and he looked up at his husband with warm, affectionate eyes. "Gajeel, this is your first time with this," he said. "We won't move forward with anything until you are ready. No matter how long it takes."

"Don't tell me that," he groaned. "I'll fuckin' die with a hard-on."

"I assure you," Freed chuckled, watching as the pierced cock in front of his lips jumped with excitement. "I won't let that happen." His head descended, his eyes staying locked onto the pleasure that overtook the Iron Slayer's strong features with each slow stroke of his lips and tongue.

Gajeel refused to look away from what his lover was doing. He just couldn't bring his only working eye to leave the sight of Freed so slowly ramping up his arousal. He both hated and loved what the Rune mage's mouth was capable of in times like this. While he wanted nothing more than to having those thin lips move faster, sucking harder, each soft moan that vibrated through his loins had his mind whirling in pleasure. His legs parted on their own, and Gajeel's breath caught when he felt Freed's hands gently massaging his inner thighs. Closer and closer to the one place no one else had ever touched him. But instead of the Rune mage spreading his cheeks and starting to tease him, those same hands that were strong enough to leave welts on his ass and thighs from a good, hard spank pushed under his body and lightly massaged his lower back.

Gajeel knew what Freed was doing, slowly working him into a state of relaxation before they tried moving forward. And it worked all the way down to the softened globes of his ass being kneaded. When he felt one slender finger dipping between them, the Iron Slayer snarled and flinched away from it.

Freed pulled back slightly with a worried frown. Both he and Gajeel were nowhere near being virginal in the sense of having sex with someone, but Freed was the only one that had been in both positions before. He knew what he needed to do, just as well as Gajeel did. But the way his lover had tensed made him unsure of whether they would really be able to continue with this. It wasn't that he wanted to give up right away, but the last thing Freed wanted was to cause Gajeel undue stress. And this was one of his husband's 'hard limits', so to speak.

"S-Slower," Gajeel hissed. "Fuck, I'm sorry Freed…"

Instead of saying anything, the Rune mage's hands slid back to where they'd been before, and he smiled in understanding. If Gajeel needed him to move slower, then he would. It wasn't a matter of trying to rush through things just so they could get to the "best part." After being together for well over two years, the two had found a great many things that they enjoyed.

"O-Oh damn," Gajeel moaned as Freed's tongue traced a scorching path along the juncture of his thigh and pelvis. One of his many weak spots that only the Rune mage had come to know about, simply because Freed been adamant on touching and tasting every inch of his body. His thighs instantly spread wider as Freed continued massaging him. Thin lips rippled over his piercings, pulling ragged breaths from the Iron Slayer. He gasped as he felt the piercing in Freed's tongue circling his sac. The things he could do with that piercing were just fucking magical, and Gajeel wondered half the time if Freed had been taking notes on what he'd done before getting it. Because there was no other way to explain how that lithe little pink muscle with a bit of iron could have him crying out in shuddering moans from such simple movements.

Freed watched Gajeel's eyes slide closed as he was lost to sensation, and made his way further south so slowly and deliberately that the Iron Slayer was moaning with pleas for more before he realized just where Freed's tongue had gone.

"Wh-Whoa!" Gajeel gasped, his back arching, as Freed's tongue flattened over his entrance in long, languid moves. There had been plenty of times where he'd done this exact same thing for his lover, and Gajeel never had an issue with it. Surprisingly, Freed was more prone to kissing him after his face had been buried between his cheeks. "F-Freed!"

And suddenly, just as Freed's tongue pointed and started flicking over his puckered hole faster than before, Gajeel understood why. Even more so when one of Freed's hands lifted to start lightly stroking him. Sensation overload was what the hell it was, and there was no way for him to pull away from it. He was frozen in place, simply forced to accept whatever the hell sort of devil magic his husband wanted to unleash on him.

"Oh fuck, baby… Yes!"

"I still love how vocal you are," Freed groaned. It was rather surprising to find that he could taste a small amount of lubricant, but when he thought about it, Freed realized that Gajeel's insistence on using the bathroom when they came back to the hotel was to prepare himself. And that only made him that much more aroused by what they would be doing. Because it meant that this had been Gajeel's plan all along, to become mated on their wedding night. He'd wanted this, and Freed knew that he'd spent a portion of that time in the bathroom mentally preparing himself for what they were about to do.

" _Nnngh_ … Don't stop," Gajeel growled. He'd never imagined something this intimate, something he'd kept so close to himself his whole life, would give him this much pleasure. Maybe it was just because this was Freed, that Gajeel finally felt safe enough to take the final step. As the minutes ticked by, he really didn't give a damn what his reasoning had been before. Just like he cared even less when Freed kissed his way upwards and claimed his lips in a searing, passionate caress. Gajeel wanted this. He wanted it more than he'd ever really thought possible. With only the feeling of his husband's body against his, his pale, soft flesh and even softer hair teasing him, Gajeel was in heaven.

No matter how high he was flying, he still came crashing back down when he felt one finger gently circling his tightened ring of muscles.

"Relax," Freed whispered against his lips. "Just a massage, handsome."

He nodded and let his hands roam over Freed's slim form, pulling in slow, deep breaths to help soothe himself as Freed moved down to kiss his throat. And as he eventually relaxed, Gajeel simply closed his eyes and let himself feel as the smallest bit of pressure was applied to his entrance. Short teasing pushes, before circling again and again. If anything, Gajeel was sure that Freed was going to kill him with anticipation. His eyes opened when Freed's head lifted, and their gazes locked just as one finger was carefully pushed into him.

"That's it," Freed breathed. "Nice and slow, right?"

Gajeel nodded quickly, his breath catching as an odd, heated shudder ran through him when Freed withdrew completely. He wasn't sure just how long they spent like that, looking into one another's eyes, sharing breathless kisses, with the Rune mage slowly stretching him. At some point, one finger became two, then Freed had added more lube and a third finger. And when the Rune mage could hardly contain himself, Gajeel was already panting and writhing with need. Gone was the Iron Slayer's trepidation, and in its place was raw, carnal desire. "Do it, baby," Gajeel snarled, sucking harshly at Freed's lips and reaching between them to stroke his lover's, until then, untouched arousal. "Take me."

" _Nngah_ … Gajeel," Freed gasped, his hips curling into the Slayer's rough strokes.

"Fuck me," he groaned. "Please… Please fuck me!"

Freed pulled his fingers away and grinned at the sharp, surprised exclamation from his husband. "Lube, Gajeel."

"Y-Yeah," he whimpered. He reached across the bed, his free hand smacking the sheets one way then another until his fingers closed around the little bottle. The top was flipped open, and he had to look down to make sure he was actually pouring it into his hand.

Freed let out a soft, contented groan as Gajeel spread the lubricant over him. His fingers teased the Iron Slayer's entrance with quick, shallow plunges and feathery circles as the muscles tightened again and again. And each time, he was gifted with more whispers of adoration, gasps and moans of delight and surprise. The Rune mage lined himself up and paused, smiling down at his breathless lover. "Ready?" he whispered.

"So fuckin' ready," Gajeel nodded. Their lips met in a lingering kiss that broke as soon as Freed started pushing forward. Those slender fingers had done quite a bit in preparing Gajeel, but not nearly enough as far as he was concerned. It fucking hurt, and not in the way he enjoyed. But Freed read the cues easily, and pulled back. Slow gentle thrusts, with Gajeel's arms around his lover's slender body and his fingers digging into his shoulders in pained desperation. At the first sharp gasp, Freed paused and drew Gajeel's attention away from it all with one slow kiss after another.

After what felt like an eternity for the Iron Slayer, he'd been filled and was looking up into Freed's loving turquoise eyes. He felt so damn full, that it was bordering on something well past uncomfortable. Heat rippled through him like a wildfire, causing an almost sickening shudder to wrack his body. Gajeel gasped when he felt more cool lubricant being poured right onto him just as Freed started pulling out. And he found himself unable to breathe when the Rune mage continued to move in slow, careful thrusts.

"Gajeel," Freed rasped. "Mmm, touch me." He smiled as thick, calloused fingers mindlessly traced the lines of his torso. A curtain of jade surrounded Gajeel as Freed brought their lips together, planted deeply within him and moving slower than before. "Do we need to switch?"

That was the question of the century for Gajeel. He hadn't been able to keep his quiet groans completely silent, but he also wasn't sure if he actually liked what was happening. Maybe he was just one of those guys that didn't enjoy anal. And he knew, if that was the case, Freed wouldn't have a problem with it in the slightest. Freed preferred to bottom, and if they never did this again, he already knew his husband wouldn't be upset about it. But he was still tense and unsure of himself. Of what they were doing. It really did make him feel like a virgin all over again.

Freed smiled at the faint hint of a blush on Gajeel's cheeks. "Maybe, I should keep going," he said.

"M-Maybe… a little longer…" Gajeel gasped as Freed's eyes darkened with arousal. His hips rolled and the Iron Slayer cried out at the sudden streak of pleasure that roared through him.

"That's it," Freed groaned, angling his hips and focusing on the bundle of nerves that had his lover crying out again. "There it is, Gajeel."

"Freed," Gajeel hissed. His teeth ground together to contain the overwhelming pleasure rocketing through him. Even without any other stimulation, he felt like he was going to blow right then. "F-Freed, fuck… More!"

Delicate fingers sifted through long, raven strands, anchoring at Gajeel's scalp. Freed's pace increased steadily until the only sounds filling the little hotel room were harsh breaths, mingled moans, and the violent slapping of skin.

Freed pulled out quickly and propped himself up on his knees, hooking one of Gajeel's legs over his arm while straddling the other. The keening cry of pleasure from his lover as he drove back into him set the Rune mage off at a relentless pace. He needed to hear more, to feel more. For his husband to beg him just to let go so they could both topple heedlessly over the edge and into bliss.

Just as Gajeel was reaching for his aching shaft, Freed's hand closed over him and started stroking so quickly, so forcefully, that he found sounds he'd never quite made before, erotic screams and pleas for his husband to fuck him harder, breaking past his lips. Even more arousing was how much he wanted to stay like this forever with the Rune mage. His head turned so he could see just how delicious Freed looked, with his body glistening with sweat, his abs bunching together. His lips parted and his eyes open and intense as he watched where they were joined. It was too much for Gajeel to hold back. Using his newly reacquired leg strength, he flipped the smaller mage down onto the mattress and mounted him, sinking down onto his rigid length and watching as twin turquoise eyes went wide. Just that feeling of his body accepting the intrusion so willingly had Gajeel letting out a low growl. He was glad he'd waited to do this, that it was happening with Freed for the first time.

"O-Oh, Gajeel," Freed groaned. He grabbed the Iron Slayer's hips, moving him faster as his hips curled into each powerful joining. Their lips met in a frenzy of harsh, biting kisses as the air grew stifling.

"Say you'll be mine, Freed," Gajeel panted, one hand lifting from the mattress to start stroking himself again.

"Forever," the Rune mage nodded frantically. "G-Gajeel, I…" He moaned into the melting kiss he was gifted with as his lover started moving faster, bouncing wildly on his rigid, swollen length. Gajeel's head lifted just enough to look into his eyes, and Freed was suddenly struck with just how dangerously beautiful his husband really was. The pupil of his dark wine-colored eye narrowed into a slit so thin it was hardly visible. The other eye, completely blind and colored a soft, pale pink, and the scar reaching across his cheek from one corner of his mouth. How the setting sun shining through the still-open curtains drew his attention to the glittering piercings on Gajeel's sweat-slicked body. His muscles bunching and contracting as guttural moans and bone-shaking growls escaped him. Raven hair pushed off to one side, swaying in time with the Iron Slayer's increasingly powerful movements.

What Freed hadn't been expecting was for Gajeel's teeth to be coated in metal as his lips drew back in a vicious snarl. And just the knowledge of what it meant, that those metallic teeth would be sinking into his flesh, marking him for all eternity as this Slayer's mate, had him crying out as pleasure exploded in the base of his spine.

The first shot of scathing heat within him had Gajeel roaring in ecstasy as it threw him over the edge. His body was wracked with pleasured tremors as Freed's hands bruised his hips and held him firmly against his body, his own climax spilling out in thick white streams across his lover's pale flesh.

Just when Freed started coming back to himself, he was left wondering how they were supposed to go about starting the mating ritual. Luckily, Gajeel shifted slightly and struck his throat so quickly that he didn't have time to react until it was too late. And while it was more than pleasurable to have his husband's iron piercing him normally, Freed screamed in agony as Gajeel's jaw locked onto his flesh and broke the skin with no effort. He barely felt one arm being lifted, and gasped as Gajeel broke away from his throat to place another equally powerful bite just over his bicep. Then a third on his forearm.

" _Gajeel, ya can't stop until it's finished," Metallicana told the young Slayer. "No matter what yer mate does, no matter how they scream, you have to finish the mark or it'll kill 'em."_

By the time a fourth bite was locking around his hand, tears were welling in Freed's eyes. From his fingertips up the length of his arm, he felt Gajeel's tongue and teeth lashing over his skin, soothing at first before he struck again. And with each subsequent bite, fire washed through him that threatened to overwhelm his senses.

" _Freed, it won't be like when I bite you in bed. I don't wanna scare ya, but it's gonna fuckin' hurt."_

"G-Gaj… eel…" He remembered being told a little about how their mating would work, that Gajeel would have to bite him and he needed to let his body recover before they could do anything else. Namely, consummating their bonding. But Freed wasn't sure if he would even survive long enough to get to that point.

The Iron Slayer moaned while letting his lips trail over the forming mark along Freed's arm, lapping at the punctures he'd had to make before nuzzling the Rune mage's bleeding throat. "It's okay," he whispered.

"I-It hurts."

"I know," he nodded. "I'm sorry."

The throbbing in Freed's arm and shoulder worsened the longer he waited. What felt like hours was only a few seconds, and suddenly his eyes were widening in horror. Something foreign crawled beneath his flesh, closer and closer to his heart.

"Almost there," Gajeel whispered, moaning quietly as his hips shifted and Freed's member gently slid out of him. "It's alright…" It hurt him more than he ever could have imagined to feel Freed's body shudder uncontrollably as his iron made its way to his heart. Because Gajeel knew just what was coming. He moved so Freed's lips were pressed to his chest, his fingers sinking into the Rune mage's sweaty emerald hair. "Deep breaths, baby… I'm right here with ya."

Except Freed couldn't breathe. All at once, he couldn't bring himself to move or think or speak, and his vision was spotted in darkness. The pain only increased to the point of pushing against his sanity. And just when he was able to worry about whether this would kill him, a violent tornado of agony washed through his whole body, ripping one final roar from him that the Rune mage would never have imagined being capable of.

Gajeel let out a slow breath as Freed went slack in his arms. He rolled onto his side, pulling the Rune mage's limp body with him.

This was one thing that had always terrified him about finally marking Freed, and part of the reason he'd been so adamant (in his head, at least) that they wouldn't be mated until after they were married. The raw elements had it so much easier, he'd been told. Based on what he'd found out from Laxus, and even Rogue, they only had to bite their mate once with a small bit of magic being sent into it. Their magic wasn't something tangible that was being forced into their mate's body. Lightning, shadows, fire, light, air… Hell, even Cobra's poison would only require one damn bite. He remembered everything he'd been taught about when it was time to mark his mate, and just how different it was going to be for him because he had to put iron into his lover's body. His attention was directed solely on the slowing beat of Freed's heart from the marathon it had been running. And once it was steady again, Gajeel shifted so the blanket that had been almost completely pushed off of the bed was draped over them.

"I love ya so much, Freed," he whispered, letting his lips brush over the unconscious mage's hair. "You have no fuckin' clue how much you mean to me."

Gajeel's eyes stayed closed as he held his mate's limp body against him. He wanted to clean Freed up, but there was no way he could get up from the bed to get a warm, wet cloth for the task. He needed to be right there when Freed woke up, to reassure his mate that everything was alright and get whatever he might need. A glass of water, just fucking holding him. Whatever Freed needed was his. If he didn't wake up soon though, Gajeel was going to be taking his ass into the shower. Because after a solid ten minutes, all he could feel was just how fucking sticky they were.

* * *

The moon was sitting high in the sky by the time Freed woke up. He was surrounded by warmth with a solid chest against his back and strong arms holding him so tenderly. His head turned slightly and the Rune mage winced at the way his stiff neck let out a sharp protest at the action.

"There's my nerd," Gajeel chuckled quietly. His hand lifted from where it was toying with the ends of his mate's hair, and his thumb gently brushed under one closed eye. "We're in the bath, by the way."

"Mm," Freed hummed. "S'nice…"

"Still tired?"

Freed nodded after several seconds, but forced his eyes to open just enough to see Gajeel smiling at him. He wanted to smile back, but he just couldn't get his body to work with him at a normal speed. What the Rune mage didn't realize was that his lips had already curved into a soft, lazy grin.

"Yer so fuckin' cute right now," Gajeel smirked. He gently nipped as Freed's lips when the pout his husband would have normally given him was nowhere to be seen. "You get all the rest you want, baby. I'll take care of ya."

"... Wanna see," Freed hummed.

"Yer mark?" When Freed nodded, Gajeel shook his head and smiled even wider. "You can see it when you wake up again."

"Am I s'posed... to sleep?"

"You look like ya need it."

Freed breathed deeply and found himself relaxing further into Gajeel's embrace. He was still rather tired. And if this was what he was supposed to do, then there really was no fighting it. "Love you…"

"Love you, too," Gajeel whispered.

Freed's eyes closed in a long blink just as Gajeel's lips descended over his shoulder to kiss him. The kiss seemed to stretch on for an eternity, just their lips meeting and holding in place, and when his eyes opened again, he felt hands questing over his body and lips burning a trail over his jaw. A heavy arousal slowly withdrawing from his plundered bottom before pushing back in. Raven hair tickling and teasing him with soft swipes over his flesh.

"Mornin', sexy," Gajeel hummed.

"G-Gajeel, what are you…" Freed gasped as his lover's hips rolled, forcing all of the piercings in his shaft into the Rune mage's body in quick succession.

Gajeel laced his fingers with Freed's and pulled both hands over his head, pinning them to the headboard. "Do you have any idea how fuckin' cute you are?" he rasped.

"I-I'm not - oh… Oh, Gajeel…"

The Iron Slayer grinned at the breathless whimpers that overtook Freed's protest. "You are," he moaned. "Watchin' you sleep… You wouldn't let me go for anything."

When they kissed, Freed's eyes shot open in shock at the salty taste in his lover's mouth. And he only found Gajeel's own mismatched eyes alight with mischief. Had he really been so out of it that he hadn't even woken up from a blowjob? Not just that, but that he'd slept through the whole experience and…

"Yes," Gajeel growled, nipping at his lips. "And the sounds you were makin'... I couldn't help myself…"

For once, words were lost on the Rune mage as his mate's hips shifted to brush roughly against the bundle of nerves within him. He couldn't bring himself to care about any of it, or the fact that he was letting out loud, wanton moans of desire that the neighboring rooms could easily hear. Instead, all Freed focused on was the feeling of Gajeel moving on top of him, deep inside of him. The rumbling of his voice right into Freed's flushed ear and down along his throat. How he could feel a soothing warmth drifting down the length of his arm, where he knew the mating mark was, when Gajeel's fingers trailed over it.

"Damn, baby," Gajeel snarled. "Yer so sexy like this… S-So…"

Freed gasped as Gajeel stilled, feeling each heaving pulse of heat that poured into him. Even though he knew that he'd recently climaxed himself, Freed's eyes rolled back in ecstasy and his body tightened as pleasure coiled and burst from the base of his spine. "Fuck!"

Gajeel let out a breathless laugh while gazing down between their bodies, watching as Freed's release pumped out onto his lover's pale, quivering stomach. "Cursing, huh?" he groaned. "Guess I'm doin' something right."

"Sh-Shut up and kiss me," Freed panted. The two shared several long, languid kisses before Gajeel crawled down his body and licked every drop of the Rune mage's release from him. It was while his eyes were closing in sated completion that Freed finally caught a small glimpse of his arm. Once he had, he found himself sitting up with widened eyes while taking it all in. "What in the world…"

Gajeel snickered at the flabbergasted expression on Freed's face. "It's bigger than Bunny Girl's, but… I think you look amazing."

"Bigger…" Freed turned to stare at his mate, letting out a huffing laugh. "I would say that is quite the understatement, Gajeel."

From his chest, just over his heart, down to the tips of his fingers, Freed's arm was covered in a life-like rendition of a winding, coiling metal dragon. When he took a chance and touched it, he really wouldn't have been surprised if its head turned to look at him. Thankfully, it didn't move. The single gleaming red eye didn't blink. Its head stayed in place over his heart. The wings didn't move from where they sat on his shoulder and wrapped around his shoulder blade. The legs stayed locked in place on his arm, and the claws on the side of his throat stayed right where they were. The tail with dangerous looking spikes didn't twitch on the back of his right hand. What he did find out though was that the mark was actually metal. His arm didn't feel any heavier, but he could feel where his skin met with the sturdy iron, the individual scales that formed the dragon.

"I probably should have mentioned that sooner," Gajeel chuckled.

"Mentioned what, exactly?" Freed asked.

"Same-sex couples have larger marks."

"Wh-What?!"

The Iron Slayer shrugged while pulling Freed's legs further down the bed, instantly upending the Rune mage so they could lie down together. Once they were settled, with Freed lying on his chest and still staring at his arm in wonder, Gajeel said, "We have no way of having kids. You remember how Bunny Girl got scales on her stomach while she was pregnant?"

"Of course."

"She was more protected like that. But we can't have that, so…"

"So, it's a way of keeping me more protected,  _because_  we can't have children?"

"Yer it for me," Gajeel nodded. "I won't have a little one to raise if something happens to you."

"We could adopt, you know…"

"Sure, but that wouldn't be our  _biological_  kid. Something happens to you, there's nothin' left of what we have together."

"Gajeel…"

The Iron Slayer gave him a soft, rueful smile. "I didn't wanna freak you out with it," he admitted. "But you're probably one of the hardest bastards in the guild to kill now…"

"I should say so," Freed chuckled while staring down at his arm. "There's a  _metal_ dragon head on my chest…"

"There's also iron surrounding yer heart, Freed."

"What?" he frowned.

"In case something happens to break through the head on your chest, or the wing on your back. You've got iron around yer heart. It won't hurt you, and if something happens and you need surgery or something… Well, I'll need to be there."

"What if you aren't available?"

"Even if I'm unconscious," Gajeel sighed. "I just have to touch your mark. If I'm doin' that, then the mark will know you're safe. Wendy knows about that though, so it won't be an issue."

"You really should have told me this sooner," Freed whispered, shaking his head in wonder. "As it stands, I'm having a hard time following you."

Gajeel grinned down at his husband, running his fingers lovingly along Freed's mark. This was definitely a first. He'd never known the Rune mage to be slow on the uptake for anything. Then again, Freed had gotten quite the shock to his system, so he didn't blame him. "Then, if yer up for it, we should get our asses outta bed. Everyone's heading back to Fiore today."

Freed sighed and nodded, watching as Gajeel slowly got up from the bed. Laxus and the others were going to be leaving, he already knew, while he and Gajeel would stay in Minstrel for their honeymoon. And when they returned to the guild in another few weeks, Freed would have his paperwork amended with his new last name. Even if Fiore wouldn't recognize they were married, the Rune mage was having it legally changed any way he could.

His eyes raked longingly over his husband's tanned flesh, taking in the scars he'd gained over the years. Some from before they even met, and others during their time together. "Gajeel."

The Iron Slayer turned and laughed when his husband's body crashed into him, forcing him to the ground. "Freed," he smirked.

"You don't have a mark."

"Slayers don't get marks. Just their mates."

"You need a mark," Freed chuckled. "I want everyone to know you are mine."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Gajeel's eyes widened at the dark grin that stretched over his mate's face. "F-Freed? What are you doing?"

"It's my turn to mark you, Gajeel," the Rune mage whispered. "Do you trust me?"

"Sure, but yer creepin' me out with that fuckin' face…" Gajeel gasped as he saw a line of runes trailing through the air from the tips of Freed's fingers. "B-Baby? What the hell are you doin'?"

"Just relax, Gajeel," Freed laughed. "It will be tasteful."

"I'd sure fuckin' hope so." Really, he didn't have an issue with Freed giving him a mark that was just as permanent as the one on his smaller body, but seriously… He'd never known that his husband could give him such a creepy fucking smile like this one.

"Now… Where to put it…" Freed laughed again when Gajeel pushed him away and scrambled across the floor. "Gajeel, don't run away!"

"Yer still makin' that creep-ass face!"

"Do you have any idea what will happen when I catch you?"

The Iron Slayer blanched at the dark chuckle sounding from behind him as he ran into a wall of runes right in front of the door. "You bastard!" He whirled around, watching in horror as runes lit up all around the room, blocking every escape route.

"Is it time for a chase, Gajeel?" Freed rasped.

The Iron Slayer hated and absolutely loved the way Freed's lowered voice made his cock harden in an instant. He edged away from the smaller mage, backing along the wall and over toward the bed again. When Freed lunged forward, Gajeel jumped back and crawled across the bed. "You look like yer gonna rape my soul, Freed!"

"I would never do something so crude," the Rune mage grinned. "I plan on making sweet, passionate love to your soul. For hours."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Gajeel cackled. He couldn't help it on that one. The Rune mage he'd fallen in love with had the strangest sense of humor, and he could never get enough of it. And just like that, the universe decided to hate all over him. His foot caught on a bit of the bedding that he hadn't seen, and the Iron Slayer toppled to the floor. Just as he was pushing himself up to keep up the chase, thin fingers were grasping at his ass and soft lips were puckering against his entrance.

"Is this okay, Gajeel?"

The Iron Slayer's arms quivered as his back arched into the instant pleasure coursing through him. "Y-Yeah," he whimpered. In a flash, all thoughts of pulling away were gone, replaced by a deeper desire to feel his mate just as they'd been the night before.

Freed's fingers swiped through the air as his tongue darted out to tease his lover more thoroughly, sending an intricate winding spiral of runes into Gajeel's flesh at the base of his spine that crawled up the length of his back. Swirling lines of ancient text etched their way into the Iron Slayer's skin, branching out until the entirety of his back was covered in a lost language. "With my runes permanently in your body like this," Freed rasped. He paused to push two fingers into his mouth, then kissed his way up Gajeel's spine while slowly circling the Iron Slayer's entrance. "I can affect you at will. I can cause you pain…"

Gajeel cried out and dropped to the ground as white hot pain ripped up his back, clawing at the carpeted floor in an attempt at getting away from the glowing red runes.

"Or give you more pleasure than you've  _ever_  felt before."

A long, shuddering moan broke past the Iron Slayer's lips as the runes under his skin changed to a vibrant purple and Freed's fingers started slowly stretching him once again. "F-Freed! Oh fuck, Freed!"

The Rune mage smiled as he carefully lined himself up behind Gajeel, spreading lubricant over his engorged arousal. Once they were joined, and as soon as his husband was pushing back onto him more insistently, Freed's hand crashed down on one perfectly muscular cheek.

' _He's gonna kill me with this shit. Fuck it feels so good! Even better when he spanks me.'_

"Oh, f-fuck me harder!"

Outside of the newlyweds' room, Cobra paused in his step to stare at the door with his eye widening in shock. "Damn," he whispered.

"Cobra? Is everything okay?"

The Poison Slayer turned to look at the autumn-haired woman at his side with partially vacant eyes and a soul like a lightning storm. One corner of his lips turned up into a smirk as his arm snaked around her slender waist. "You're telling me you don't hear him screaming like a whore in there?"

Flare's gaze shifted to the door they were standing in front of, her head tilting slowly to one side. "You do realize…" His brow lifted when her cheeks flushed and her eyes drifted toward the floor. "That's what you sound like, too…"

"Oh, fuck you," Cobra sneered. And just like that, the fire was back in her eyes, and a wicked grin turned up the corners of her mouth.

"Mmkay. How's Wednesday for you? Ten-fifteen sound good? Because I'm booked solid until then."

"I'm sure you are." He bit his lip while drawing her closer, smiling against her throat. "Sounds perfect, Gingerbread."

"What are you guys doing out here?"

Cobra rolled his eye at the sound of Jellal's voice just behind them. "Just listening to the free show, you dippy fuck."

"What sh-"

" _More! Oh, Freed… Just like that… Oh… Y-Yes, Master! SHIT, YES!"_

Jellal's eyes widened as he stared at Cobra and Flare. "I-I see…" And while the two most mentally unstable (in their own rights) members of his guild started laughing while walking in the other direction down the hall, the Heavenly Body mage found his head shaking while walking in a daze back toward his own room.  _'I'll need to talk with Erza about soundproofing in Fairy Hills… Lots and lots of soundproofing…'_

"Yeah," Cobra shot back from the end of the hall. "No one wants to hear you screaming like a bitch, Blueberry."

"Does he really taste like blueberries?" Flare asked.

Jellal facepalmed, trying to drown out the sounds coming from Freed and Gajeel's room as well as Cobra's laughter.

 


End file.
